Beyond Forbidden
by Karakuri Pierrot
Summary: There is a fine line between those who we can befriend, and those who we shouldn't, but this line is bleak to the person in that situation. One does not always know if he or she has or has not crossed that line, and sometimes, they never do.
1. Demonic Student Council Vice Presidents

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I know, I know. I haven't posted a rewrite or update of _any_ of my stories, and now, here I am posting a new story once again. I'm sorry, but I really had this idea bugging me for the last few weeks. The story seems a little far-fetched on some parts.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.

Please enjoy the first chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Beware of Demonic Student Council Vice-Presidents. They bite.**

The sound of tennis balls getting hit and the students shouting filled his ears as he watched his teammates practice. It was a fair afternoon. He sighed contentedly as he averted his eyes from one court to another, checking on the people practicing on the courts. Sadly for him, a familiar shout that destroyed the peace reached his ears.

"Tezuka!"

The said teen sighed then turned his head to see a furious female walking towards him with a dark air around her. Her eccentric red-orange hair flared around her, giving the illusion of fire, while her onyx black eyes that promised darkness were in slits. Knowing her, she really could have real fire around her.

"Hanabi." He addressed the female with a nod. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch what was happening between their stoic captain – Tezuka Kunimitsu – and the popular demonic student council vice-president – Hanabi Izumi – this time around. She had glared at him for a few moments which wasn't hard because she was only an inch or two shorter. Suddenly, she smiled at him sweetly.

"Next time, don't skip out on meetings, Tezuka." She said sweetly but the dark air around her spoke otherwise. "There is no meeting." Tezuka told her. "There is, Tezuka, and you're late. You are lucky I was nice enough to call you." Izumi replied as she grabbed his wrist and started pulling him with ease. "Hanabi-san!"

The said female looked behind her to see the rest of the tennis team. "What is it, Oishi-san?" She asked in a more civilized tone. "Tezuka wasn't informed about there being a meeting this afternoon." Oishi hastily explained. "I understand." She replied as she let go of Tezuka's wrist.

"I'm sorry for freaking out on you, Tezuka." Izumi sincerely apologized with a short bow. "It is okay, Hanabi." Tezuka replied as he massaged his wrist. "Did I hurt you with my grip earlier?" She asked in a worried tone which was totally different from the way she was acting earlier. Before Tezuka could answer her question though, she took his wrist and checked it herself.

"It seems to be sore but with some ice, it will be gone. I'm sorry for hurting you." She apologized again with a short bow. His teammates, on the other hand, could only stare at his wrist and the obvious red handprint around it that was caused by the weird female in front of them.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion. We should be going to the student council room now." Izumi suddenly told them. They only nodded before going back to where they were and continued practice. When they were back to their places, Tezuka and Izumi left and went to their destination.

The tennis club had just finished their afternoon practice. The regulars had just finished changing and were waiting for their captain by the gates. They were going to celebrate their most recent win. Tezuka didn't come back to practice so they decided to wait by the gates instead.

"Echizen-kun!"

The said teen lifted his gaze only to see the demonic student council vice-president, which is what most of the students in their school often call her, running towards them while dragging their captain behind her. When she stopped in front of them, they noticed the unusual condition Tezuka was in. His hair was messed up, his glasses were crooked, his clothes were all wrinkled, and he was only holding on to his bag by its strap. Izumi, on the other hand, was very neat with not even a wrinkle on her clothes. Her bag was on her shoulder.

When Izumi had let arm go of his arm, the usually composed captain of the tennis team fell to the ground gracelessly. "What happened to Tezuka?" Oishi asked as he crouched to the side of his friend who was panting. "We ran into some trouble while we were leaving the student council room." Izumi nervously replied.

"How did you actually escape, Hanabi-sempai?" Ryoma asked in a suspicious tone, which caught the attention of the others. "We ran around the corridors about ten – or maybe it was twelve – times. We also went up and down the stairs for about a couple of times too." Izumi thoughtfully replied. "I guess you dragged buchuo the whole time." Ryoma said in a knowing tone. Izumi rubbed the back of her head as she chuckled nervously.

"Baka." Ryoma said as he hit the back of her head hard. This surprised his teammates but Izumi didn't look fazed or angry, only nervous and apologetic. "I guess I did deserve that, didn't I?" Izumi shyly laughed as she fingered the hem of her shirt. "Hai. Didn't I tell you that you shouldn't drag people while running?" Ryoma scolded her in an annoyed tone, acting like a mother of sorts to the older teen. "Hai, Echizen-kun!" Izumi mock saluted.

His teammates could only stare in shock, some more discreet than others, as their friend, Ryoma, had not only hit the back of the **demonic student council vice-president**'s head but even scolded her. This didn't go unnoticed to the dark-haired teen. "Is something the matter, sempai-tachi?" Ryoma asked in a bored tone. "How did you-"

"It was okay because it was Echizen-kun. If any of you try to do it though, I'll kill you." Izumi suddenly said in an icy tone. "What is so special with Echizen?" Momo asked. "Unlike most of you, he is the student that has the cleanest record in the whole school! The only reason he only gets asked to go to the principal office is because of tennis or his family." Izumi stated with admiration evident in her eyes.

"How is that possible when he sleeps in class?" Momo asked. "Yes, his infamous habit is an often complaint, but his grades doesn't drop. Unlike back in middle school, most teachers here wouldn't care if you sleep in class. It's your fault if you fail because you were careless." Izumi explained. "The thing I'm wondering about is that, why do you even sleep during class?" Izumi asked as she faced the dark-haired teen.

"Class is boring." Ryoma monotonously replied. "What about during Science class? Your classmates said that you never fall asleep during Science class." Izumi countered. "It isn't boring." Ryoma simply replied. Izumi was annoyed at his answer. She placed her arm around his neck and was about to rub her fist against the top of his head when his hand stopped it.

"That will hurt, Hanabi-sempai." Ryoma said as he twisted away from her grasp before letting go of her fist. It was quiet among them as the regulars stared at Ryoma then at Izumi. After a few seconds of silence, Tezuka cleared his throat. Everyone looked at him. "We should get going before the restaurant is full." Oishi said as he helped Tezuka stand up.

"How did you meet Echizen, Hanabi?" Inui asked with his infamous notebook in his hands. "We're neighbors. I live in the temple his family watched over whenever I'm gone." Izumi replied before she ate her sushi. "Do you live alone?" Taka asked. "Yes, I do. My parents live in Kanagawa but I didn't want to go to Rikkai Dai so I moved here." Izumi answered with a frown on her face.

"Why?" Oishi asked. "Well, Yukimura-kun goes to that school and after suffering years of torture in grade school, I wanted to move. I had second thoughts though because Sanada-san, Jackal-san, Yagyuu-kun, Yanagi-kun, Niou-kun and Marui-kun are my friends." Izumi casually answered but her hand shook at the mention of the blue-haired teen. "Can you tell us some things about how they were back then?" Inui asked.

"Sure! Let's start with Sanada-san. He had always been my most favorite target." Izumi said happily with a mischievous air around her. "I often did pranks on him with the help of Niou-kun, though he never tried slapping me because I always beat him to it. My nickname for him back then had been Geni-chan!" Izumi chuckled as memories came into mind.

Unknown to her, everyone had tried their best to stifle their laughter when they heard her nickname for the feared Emperor of Rikkai Dai. "I guess the next one would be Jackal-san. We weren't close though so I don't have much to say. I guess it's the same for Yanagi-kun because we only talked about our lessons." Izumi thoughtfully said with a frown on her face.

"Lastly, there are Niou-kun and Marui-kun!" Izumi brightened up at this point. "I did pranks with Niou-kun and baked cakes for Marui-kun. Sometimes, we would team up to do pranks on Sanada-san and we always get away with it." Izumi smiled as fond memories came back. "What about Yukimura?" Fuji asked. Instantly, Izumi's mood turned sour.

"That bastard always got in the way of my pranks! Though I was impressed by the way he intercepted it, it was a waste of good film." Izumi sighed as the face of the said blue-haired teen appeared in her mind. "He was also the only one in the whole school that could avoid most of my attacks when I'm angry though, so I guess I don't really dislike him." Izumi added thoughtfully.

"Yanagi told me that he and most of teammates tried to pair someone with Yukimura then." Inui told her. Izumi turned red when she heard that. "Curse you, Yanagi-kun! I swear I'll kill you in your sleep." Izumi unknowingly whispered out of anger.

Somewhere in Kanagawa, a certain Data Master felt a chill on his spine. He knew that feeling _anywhere_.

'Izumi-san.'

"Hanabi?" Eiji asked. "Ah! Well, he and the guys often tried to make Yukimura-kun and I go on dates." Izumi nervously chuckled.

"What do you mean?" Momo asked, clueless as ever. "You see, they were delusional and had actually thought that Yukimura-kun and I had feelings for each other. At first, I didn't know how they even thought of that." Izumi answered with an annoyed look on her face. "How **did** they think that?" Eiji asked. "For Yukimura-kun, they said that he was nicer to me than everyone else. As for me, they said that I always notice him before anyone else." Izumi answered thoughtfully, like she was trying to remember what happened back then.

"I don't know for Yukimura-kun but for me, it's hard to ignore the only person who always gets in your way and on some occasions, even gets away with it!" Izumi added with a scowl on her face. "Did you like him?" Ryoma asked, catching the attention of his friends. "Well, I do like him but not like what they thought. I saw Yukimura-kun only as a very annoying friend." Izumi answered calmly.

"It hurts to hear that from you, Izumi-chan."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope I didn't make the characters too OOC. I might have been a little excited when I typed this so... Please tell me any typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

Constructive criticism is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	2. Never mess with a girl's love life

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe.

**KiTtEn18sMiLe:** Kitten-san, your guess has been answered. hehehehe... I do have to admit though, Fuji and Yukimura have similar qualities, neh? :)

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.

Please enjoy the second chapter!

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**Chapter 2: Don't mess around with a girl's love life, mostly if she has a temper.**

Izumi was shocked turned around in a flash. The captain of the tennis team of Rikkai Dai, Yukimura Seiichi, was standing right behind her. "Hello." He said with a wave using his right hand while on his other hand, he had a bouquet of flowers which he then held out to her. Izumi stood up and faced the smiling teen, ignoring the bouquet of flowers.

She was scowling at first but smiled after a few seconds. She went near him then gave him a quick hug. She backed away for a step before punching him in the stomach, surprising everyone. Yukimura cringed and was bent down in pain. Suddenly, she slapped him on the right cheek before placing a kiss on the other cheek.

"I don't know if it really hurt you to hear that but I hope you're hurt now." Izumi told him as she went back to her seat. "You are still the same, Izumi-chan." Yukimura said as he sat next to her with a cringe. "Don't call me that!" Izumi elbowed him in the ribs, making him cringe again in pain. "Izumi-chan-" Yukimura wasn't able to continue because he was elbowed in the stomach. A common thought went through the other males present.

'Is he masochistic or just plain **stupid**?'

"Yukimura-kun, would you like some sushi?" Izumi asked nicely as she quickly took a roll from a certain tensai's plate. Yukimura nodded. "Say 'ah'." Izumi said as she lifted her chopsticks with sushi on one end. Yukimura gladly opened his mouth. Izumi's eyes glinted as she forced it down his throat, effectively spreading wasabi around his mouth. She pulled away, leaving the chopsticks in his mouth. Yukimura tried his best not to show his pain and the effect of the wasabi on him.

He gingerly took the chopsticks away from his mouth. "Why did you have-" The teen didn't continue further when he saw Izumi happily feeding a certain freshman some sushi. "Did you say something, Yukimura-kun?" Izumi asked when she noticed that the blue-haired teen didn't continue what he was saying.

"Are you still angry about what I did years ago?" Yukimura asked, honestly curious. "I have forgiven you about that but I'm still angry about the stunts you pulled when I moved. The guys keep asking me when we started dating for the first few months! The only reason they stopped was because you were in the hospital. Ever since you were released, they went at it again." Izumi answered.

"Because of their stunts, I couldn't get a boyfriend because they would be too scared about what you or your teammates would do." Izumi added sourly. "Don't blame your lack of boyfriends on us, Hanabi-chan." Yukimura told her. "Well, the reason was pretty clear. I'll only forgive you if you stop pulling these stunts of yours." Izumi replied.

Yukimura looked thoughtful for a while before nodding at her. "Okay." He said before his phone rang. "Hello." He said as he answered his phone. "How did it go, buchuo?" He heard a familiar voice ask. "I won the bet, Hiroshi-kun." Yukimura answered before he hung up. "What is this bet you talk about?" Izumi asked, suspicious of what they talked about.

"It's nothing." Yukimura said, but instantly regretted it when Izumi had tackled him down and was sitting on top of him while pulling his arm and legs. "Explain now or your limbs go." Izumi threatened. "The team and I had a bet. I told them that the stunts they pulled would backfire negatively but they said that it would end differently." Yukimura replied.

"So you're telling me that those stunts that I thought were done by _you_ where actually _the guys'_ doings? _They_ are the reason why all my potential boyfriends-to-be keep on bailing on me?" Izumi angrily asked as her grip got tighter, simply daring him to lie. "Yes." Yukimura replied in the most honest tone he could manage. "They are _so_ dead! Make them go to my temple right **now**!" Izumi ordered as she let him go.

"How many guys had bailed out on you, Hanabi-sempai?" Ryoma asked. "Thirty-four guys had asked me out and bailed on me ever since I moved to Tokyo, Echizen-kun." Izumi calmly replied. Everyone was surprised to hear such a huge number. They never expected her to be **that** popular among the males. A common thought ran through their heads. 'No wonder she's that angry.'

"I said that I would meet them by the station. They're on their way now." Yukimura told her. "I'll pay for my part. I'm sorry to have disturbed your party." Izumi told them as she placed money on the table. "It is okay, Hanabi. It was fun while it lasted." Fuji told her on behalf of everyone else. "I'll be going as well, sempai-tachi." Ryoma said and placed money for his food on the table.

Everyone bid Yukimura, Izumi and Ryoma goodbye before the three teens left the restaurant. "Why are you coming with us, Echizen?" Yukimura asked. "I need to go home early." Ryoma replied. "Can I come over tonight, Echizen-kun?" Izumi asked. "Hai. Okaa-san wanted to ask you to come over anyway." The younger teen replied.

"You two are neighbors?" Yukimura asked, slightly surprised. "Hai! Echizen-kun's mom always takes care of me and I often come over to their place." Izumi cheerfully answered. The rest of the walk home was filled with light chatter from Yukimura and Izumi. Ryoma had opted to remain quiet and stared at the moon. They soon parted ways with Yukimura who was headed towards the station.

"You do know that he was telling the truth." Ryoma suddenly said when they were far from where they had separated from Yukimura. "So was I. It was only a childish crush back then." Izumi replied in a tired voice. "It's still going to happen even if you try to avoid it." He told her. "I know." She muttered. Their walk carried on in silence.

* * *

"Hanabi!"

The said teen looked behind her to see her friends from the tennis club. "Hi guys." She happily greeted. They greeted back as well. "How was yesterday?"Fujiasked. "They confessed and I punished them." Izumi simply replied with a content look on her face. "Oh! Before I forget, I arranged some training for Hyotei, Rikkai Dai, Seigaku and some people from other schools. The training starts next week." Izumi told her.

"What?" Almost everyone asked in a loud voice. "Well, I owed Ryuzaki-sensei and the other coaches a favor. This is our deal!" Izumi answered. "Troublesome." Ryoma commented. "Now, now, Echizen-kun. Don't go acting like _Shikamaru_ from _Kishimoto Masashi-sama's Naruto_." Izumi mock scolded. "Keh." Ryoma muttered. "Now you're copying _Inuyasha_ from _Takashi Rumiko-sama's Inuyasha_!" Izumi exclaimed. Ryoma only sighed in defeat, knowing that she won't stop annoying him.

* * *

It has been a week since Izumi's announcement about the training at her place. She had everyone except the Seigaku regulars meet at the park and had them run to her house. When the players from other schools got there, they saw the players from Seigaku, except Ryoma, waiting by the gate. "Where is the brat?" Atobe asked.

"Sorry I'm late!"

Everyone looked to their side to see Ryoma leaving the house next to the temple. "Actually, you're just in time, Echizen-kun. I trust that Nanjirou-san has been taken care of?" Izumi asked. "Hai. He's lying around again." Ryoma answered as he handed her a tennis ball and his racket.

Izumi nodded as she threw the ball then hit it towards Ryoma's house. Almost everyone expected the sound of breaking glass but they only heard a man scream. "Why did you have to hit me, Izumi-chan?" Izumi grew annoyed at that. "Don't call me that, baka-hentai!" She shouted as she hit another ball in the same direction. They heard a loud cry and the mention of the words: hurt, balls and ice.

"Before we enter, I would like to remind everyone that this isn't a hotel. This is a training ground, my home and a temple. If any of you try to copy the old man from next door, I'll punish you in ways you would never expect to happen." Izumi told them with a smile on her face all the way. She opened the gates and walked inside. Everyone else followed her then Ryoma closed the gate.

"I have an announcement to make. All of you will be divided into groups of eight. I will lead you to your rooms first. Eight people can fit in each room. After you unpack, I will expect all of you in the garden by two in the afternoon." Izumi told them. Most of them looked at their watch. It was only ten in the morning. Izumi showed them around the house and led them to their rooms which had a symbol on the door.

The first room had a picture of a black spider. Inside were Kaidoh, Inui, Hiyoshi, Yanagi, Ibu, Kamio, Yuuta and Mizuki. The second room had a picture of a brown cat. Inside were Momo, Taka, Gakuto, Kabaji, Jackal, Kintarou, Wakato and Sengoku. The third room had a picture of a white dog. Inside were Tezuka, Oishi, Atobe, Yukimura, Sanada, Chitose, Reiji and Tachibana.

The fourth room had a picture of a gray wolf. Inside were Eiji, Jirou, Shishido, Choutarou, Niou, Marui, Youhei and Kohei. The last room had a picture of a red fox. Inside were Ryoma,Fuji, Oshitari, Yagyuu, Kirihara, Shiraishi, Kajimoto and Saeki. Izumi told them that she will announce the jobs later before leaving them to unpack.

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**A/N: **I made a somewhat automatic disclaimer there on Inuyasha and Naruto. So once again, Inuyasha and Naruto are not mine!

I hope I didn't make the characters too OOC. I might have been a little excited when I typed this so... Please tell me any typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

Constructive criticism is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	3. A Calm Day

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe as well.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.

Please enjoy the third chapter!

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**Chapter 3: The day that is calm is actually full of surprises.**

"All of you will be doing housework for the whole month you will be staying here." Izumi told them. "Hanabi-san, we were told that this will only last a week." Yuuta said. "I'm glad you mentioned that, Yuuta-san. The coaches and I had made a deal with the principals. After an extensive talk with them, we came up with this." Izumi explained.

"The week they told you about was your duration here before you spend the other three weeks at the main training grounds. The jobs I will assign to you will remain at both places. There will be no one to help or serve us. The reason why we are staying here first is because of travel problems. The main training ground has only one way of travel, and it should be ordered about a certain time before depending on the number of people who will go. Thus, this extra week you need to stay here because of our large number." She continued as she looked at the group of males in front of her.

"How can we be sure that you are not lying?" Atobe asked. "It's very simple, Atobe-san. Your parents were the ones who picked me in the first place along with Echizen-kun." Izumi replied as she held up a thick stack of papers and showed it to him and everyone else. Atobe only nodded when he saw the Atobe family's crest and another familiar family crest beside it.

"Are there any other questions?" Izumi asked. When nobody spoke up, she grinned evilly. "Forever hold your peace." She said before turning around. "I have assigned some chores for all of you to do." She said as she turned around with a piece of paper in her hand. "Please separate yourselves by your rooms." She ordered.

When they boys were done, she looked at the piece of paper. "Dog room will be in-charge of fixing the bedrooms. Spider room will handle the laundry. Cat room will do the gardening. Wolf room will clean every room in the house except the kitchen and bedrooms. Lastly, the Fox room will do the shopping and will help me in the kitchen." Izumi announced. "Are there any complaints?" Izumi asked. When no one spoke, she only nodded.

"Now, the house rules for this week are simple and easy to follow. I will give you permission if it happens to go against a certain house rule. If you fail to follow these rules, there will be certain punishments. For example, if you are not allowed to go inside a room but still went there without my permission, you will sleep outside by the pond wearing nothing but your boxers." Izumi smiled before taking a deep breath.

"First rule is to not sneak around the premises or wander around aimlessly. Second rule is to never leave the premises. Third rule is to never go near the shrine. Fourth rule is to never be late and when I said it's time to sleep, lights out. Fifth rule is to never enter my kitchen without my permission. This rule is an exception for people in Fox room when it is near to meal times. Sixth rule is to never use your phones during practice." Izumi told them in a serious tone. All of the males nodded nervously after hearing the sixth rule.

"Now that I'm finished with the house rules, I need all of you to give me all of your rackets and other gadgets excluding your phones. You are banned from touching them until the end of our training." Izumi told them as she revealed five boxes and five bags.

Everyone placed their rackets and gadgets in the boxes and bags, respectively, before Izumi took them away to somewhere they don't know. When she came back, she was carrying five boxes. "Kabaji, help her." Atobe ordered with a snap of his fingers. "Usu." Kabaji said before going towards Izumi. Taka was already on his way.

"Thank you, Kawamura-san, Kabaji-san." Izumi said before they took one box each in Izumi's request if they wanted to help. Kabaji grunted while Taka tipped a little at the sudden weight. Izumi managed to help Taka balance himself while holding the three boxes with only one hand.

"I think it would be better if I carried all these boxes instead." Izumi said then took both boxes from the boys before they could even say a word. "What is in those boxes, Hanabi-san?" Saeki asked. "Weights. All of you will have one on each arm and leg and will not remove it unless you bathe. When sleeping, I allow all of you to wear only half of it. Please do not try to know how heavy that is." Izumi told them.

She gently placed the boxes on the ground before distributing the weights. Most of them were shocked to discover how heavy the weights were and how Izumi had carried five boxes of such weights so easily. "We'll only do a simple training regime this week since I'm your only trainer. You would meet your other trainers at the main training grounds next week." She informed them.

"Since it's still early, I guess I could let you have fun around here." Izumi told them before she went back inside. The boys looked at each other before going in groups and walking around the huge area. They hung out and played games for the hours Izumi left them. When the sun began to set, Izumi called the ones from the Fox room.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope I didn't make the characters too OOC. I might have been a little excited when I typed this so... Please tell me any typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

Constructive criticism is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	4. Starting off at the wrong foot

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe. I get the drive to type chapters because of your reviews, Kitten-san! :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is a short chapter for today.

Please enjoy the fourth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 4: It is never good when you start off at the wrong foot.**

It has been five days since the training had started and this is the very first break day for all of them. After four days of training, they had a whole day for cleaning. This was now their rest day, before the day of their departure.

"Hanabi-san is really strict, neh?" Sengoku asked. "Yeah. She gets upset easily too." Wakato replied. "She is like that at Yukimura-sempai the most." Momo added as the three teens looked at the blue-haired teen sitting on the couch.

"You shouldn't talk about Hanabi-sempai like that."

Everyone in the room, mostly the three teens, looked to the side to see Ryoma, who was wearing a black yukata, leaning on the door frame. "She is taking care of all of us in her home without much help from any adult." Ryoma told them.

"I'm not saying that you should be grateful but at least don't criticize her like that."

The black-haired teen turned around and left them to think on his words. "Echizen-kun." They heard a familiar voice say but the said teen had already left. They turned towards where the voice came from only to see Izumi with a sad look on her face while holding three trays on tea on each hand. Before they knew it, she placed the trays of tea gently on the table before running after the teen as fast as her yukata could allow her.

"Echizen-kun!"

* * *

"You know, what Echizen-kun said was true."

Everyone looked at the person who spoke, who was surprisingly Shiraishi Kuranosuke. "She must've sacrificed a lot to even handle a group of **forty male tennis players** in her own abode **all by herself**." Kajimoto added, knowing what Shiraishi was going with his statement. The two males looked at the Seigaku team, urging them to say something.

"She is known to be as the _demonic student council vice-president_ back in school." Fuji told them. "She always wants everyone to follow most of the rules or suffer her wrath." Oishi continued. "She **never** fails to see something wrong with people." Taka added in a somewhat sad tone.

"Even with that in mind, she **always** looks after them." Inui said. "We can always come to her if we have problems." Eiji added thoughtfully, remembering Izumi's speech back then. "Hanabi works too hard to protect everyone around her but does get carried away at times." Tezuka finalized.

After hearing what the third years from the Seigaku team have said, most of them felt ashamed. They have assumed her actions to be something negative when, on some occasions, it was for their own good. They can't say the same for her treatment on Yukimura but, most of them hadn't said anything absolute concerning that part.

"That is true, even though her treatment on Yukimura-san is harsh."

With that statement, everyone but the said teen sadly nodded in agreement.

* * *

**A/N: **So yeah, a little drama in this chapter but I tried to keep the humor, even though it's minimal. The drama would increase on random times. Beware!

I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	5. There is a fine line in between

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and apandas327.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is a short chapter for today.

Please enjoy the fifth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 5: There is a fine line in between.**

"Ryoma-kun!"

The said teen turned around to see Izumi running after him. He stopped walking and waited for her. She stopped in front of him, panting. "What is it, Izumi-sempai?" He asked. "You didn't have to tell them that." She told him but her eyes were downcast than looking him straight in the eye.

He placed a finger under her chin and tilted up her head a little so she could look at him in the eye. "Don't act like this is nothing, sempai." He told her, making the usually composed female look surprised. "No one should be judged so easily. You should know about that the most." He said as he removed his finger from under her chin as he sensed some people approaching.

"I know but it's a common fault for everyone, mostly if they started off at the wrong foot." Izumi replied. "You should stop at looking at people's faults most of the time." Ryoma told her. She nodded before giving out a long sigh. "Thank you." She whispered before hugging the shorter teen. Ryoma nodded before patting her back softly.

"We apologize if we are intruding on something."

At that, Izumi had pulled away from Ryoma and turned around. The person who had spoken was Sengoku and behind him were Momo and Wakato. "I'm sorry!" They chorused with a bow. Izumi gave Ryoma an uncertain look, which didn't go unnoticed by the people who were spying on them, making sure that the four teens did what they promised to do.

Surprisingly, at least for the ones who were spying, Ryoma had smiled and gave her a light push on the back. She had stumbled a little but gave a smile back at Ryoma. "Thank you." She mouthed before facing the three bowing teens. "Apology accepted." She told them, making the four teens straighten up.

"As for your stunt, you four are in-charge of feeding the fish in the pond for next week." She grinned at them. The three teens were shocked at first before sighing. They were foolish enough to think that they would get away that easily. Ryoma, on the other hand, had only smirked when he heard what Izumi had said.

'As expected from her, she will never let anyone get away unscathed.'

That was the common thought that ran though the spies' and Ryoma's minds. "As for the people hiding in the bushes, because you broke my first house rule, you will all sleep on the porch tonight in your boxers until next week!" She said cheerily, as if she was giving away a prize.

The group hiding behind the bushes groaned before revealing themselves. They were Niou, Marui, Kirihara, Gakuto, Kintarou and Ibu. "It must be your lucky day boys because you are the first ones to ever break a house rule!" She cheerily told them. Inside though, she was a little upset. 'They are getting their punishment so no acting like _Shizuo Heiwajima_ from _Narita Ryohgo-sama's Durarara!_ for now.' She thought happily.

"Anyway, let's go back inside." Izumi suggested. Everyone else just nodded and went back to the living room where the other tennis players were. When they came in, Izumi's cheerful air, Ryoma's indifferent one and the others' gloomy ones didn't go unnoticed. "What happened that made you this happy, Hanabi-san?" Atobe asked as he eyed the eerily smiling female.

"It's nothing relevant to you and everyone else, Atobe-san." Izumi replied in her still cheery voice. Atobe kept his taken aback expression. This side of Izumi was new to most of the teens and inside, they were wary that something bad might happen if they dare do something wrong or stupid. "Izumi-chan!" A certain _blue-haired idiot_- I mean **teen** exclaimed.

"Don't ever call me that, Yukimura-kun!" Izumi said as she threw a cushion at him. She was still smiling but it was evident on her face that she was annoyed. Most males in the room had made up their minds to never dare call her 'Izumi-chan'. That and Yukimura's surprising point of stupidity will be the death of him.

"Izumi-chan."

Almost everyone felt sorry for the soul and the body of the one who dared to say it, who was shockingly Ryoma. "Yes, Ryoma-kun?" Izumi asked in a cheery tone, surprising everyone else in the room. "I was only testing it out." Ryoma informed her. "As long as you say it, it's okay." Izumi happily replied. A dark air around Ryoma suddenly appeared, making the boys around him take a few steps back.

"What if Tezuka-buchuo calls you that?"

There was a look of childish innocence in Ryoma's face that looked too unreal but at the same time, quite fitting, when he said that. The dark air around him had suddenly disappeared too. The other teens looked at Izumi, who had a look of shock on her face. Her face and ears were pink then slowly turned into a red that put Eiji's hair to shame. She suddenly looked at the floor with her hand shielding her face before replying.

"I-I guess I w-wouldn't m-mind."

The guys, with the exception of Ryoma, Yukimura and Tezuka, were surprised at her reaction. "Izumi-chan." Tezuka tried it out after Ryoma gave him a look. "M-Mitsu-kun!" Izumi suddenly shouted while still looking at the ground. Everyone else was stupefied at the turn of events.

It only got worse when Izumi fell to the ground, **laughing out loud**.

"I-I can't believe y-you guys didn't n-notice!" Izumi said in between laughs. Most of the guys looked at either Ryoma or Tezuka for an explanation. "We're childhood friends." Tezuka said. "Don't forget that you two are _cousins_." Ryoma added with a smirk on his face. Most of the guys in the room were downright surprised by then.

Izumi only laughed **harder** when she saw their reactions.

"Y-you actually t-thought that I have _a crush_ on Mitsu-kun? That's just so funny!" If Izumi wasn't wearing a yukata, some of them figured that she would've been laughing while rolling on the ground by then. Some of the guys were getting annoyed by the fact that Izumi was laughing at them as if they actually have fallen for the most obvious prank in the whole wide world.

Suddenly, Izumi stopped laughing and looked thoughtful in an instant.

"I must admit though that Mitsu-kun is quite attractive…" She drifted off, as if she was contemplating about something. "He's not as attractive as Echizen-kun though!" She continued with a big grin on her face. The said dark-haired teen only coughed nervously and looked away from the female red-head.

"I think that sempai is attractive too."

Everyone stared at him in shock about his sudden comment. Izumi suddenly stood up then walked over to Ryoma. "I'm glad that you agree with me, Echizen-kun!" Izumi patted him on the back lightly. Ryoma suddenly turned around with an annoyed look on his face. He hit the back of Izumi's head hard before walking towards the door. Everyone was looking at him.

"I didn't mean Tezuka-buchuo, baka-sempai."

All the guys stared at Izumi who had a grin on her face. When she noticed that, she looked at them with a calm look. "He'll be okay when dinner is ready. Since I'm here at the moment, why don't we try to get to know each other better?" She asked. Everyone nodded, interested at the idea.

"Why don't we start with my dear cousin, Mitsu-kun?"**  
**

* * *

**A/N: **So yeah, a little drama in this chapter as well. Izumi's a little quirky, neh?

I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	6. Unwanted guests

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Sayonara Yasashii Akumu. I was supposed to update this earlier, but I was on a trip, so yeah...

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is another short chapter.

Please enjoy the sixth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Unwanted guests aren't always the biggest problem.**

Ryoma sighed as he walked away from the room where everyone else was. 'Baka Izumi-sempai.' He thought before mentally laughing. Izumi did make quite fools out of his sempais when she told them that she and Tezuka were actually cousins, so he could let it go for now. He knew she was only kidding then. He always knows.

Just before his mind could get carried away by his thoughts, he felt his phone vibrate. He took it out and opened his phone only to see an unread text message. He opened it and read its contents. After reading it, he kept his phone and turned around before making his way back to the room where everybody else was.

He slammed the door open and was slightly surprised to see everyone sitting down, looking like they were talking about something. "Sempai." Ryoma simply said in a monotone voice, making Izumi look worried and stand up. "What is it?" She asked as she made her way to him.

"_They_ are coming." He simply replied. "Oh man! I prayed to Kami-sama that they don't visit here!" She complained before sighing deeply. "Fine." She grudgingly said. "I'll make dinner." Ryoma told her before leaving the room swiftly, almost like in a hurry. "Did something happen, Hanabi-san?" She heard someone ask from behind her.

She turned around with a forced bright smile. "I had just been recently informed that I will have some guests. Now, I want all of you to take a bath then change into some formal clothes. When I say formal, I mean the kimonos, not suits." She said, her smile beginning to fade. All the males simply nodded then quietly went to their rooms, not wanting to anger the stressed female. They all found kimonos in the chest in their respective shared rooms. Afterwards, they proceeded to the huge bathhouse at the end of the hall.

Meanwhile, Izumi decided to check up on Ryoma but just as she was about to open the door to the kitchen, she heard Ryoma's voice say, "Don't mind me, Izumi-sempai. Just get everything and everyone else ready for later." Izumi sighed deeply. "Just don't overdo it, Ryoma-kun." She said before making her way to her room.

Once he was sure that she left, Ryoma continued on with his cooking. He checked if all the food was doing okay. 'The appetizer is in the stove, the main course is in the oven and the dessert is on the counter, cooling off.' Ryoma mentally checked as he looked at the food. He then turned to the mixer.

* * *

Izumi sighed contentedly as the warm water hit her skin. After a few minutes, she soon left the shower and wore her bathrobe. She took a peek outside the bathroom to see if anyone was outside. 'All clear.' She thought before casually going to her room. Once she was inside, she opened her closet and took out her second most formal kimono. It had an eccentric flower design on pale violet silk.

She quickly wore it then proceeded to fixing her hair. She brushed it a couple of times before placing it in a neat but low ponytail. She applied very minimal make-up, just some light blush-on and some lip gloss. As a finishing touch, she used a sakura clip to keep some of her hair from covering her face. 'Done.' She thought after she checked if her outfit was okay. When she was done, she left her room then looked for her current guests.

They were all in the living room, much like earlier. "It's good to see all of you already done." She commented with a smile. "You look beautiful in that kimono, Hanabi-san." Saeki told her, making her raise her sleeve to her face to cover her blush. "Thank you, Saeki-san. You look quite handsome in that kimono of yours too." Izumi replied shyly.

"I should check up on Echizen-kun." She suddenly said after glancing at the clock. "No need to, sempai." She heard a voice behind her say. She turned around to see Ryoma wearing a dark blue silk kimono with a dragon design. "My, my, Echizen-kun. I must say, you look dashing in that kimono. You should wear kimonos like that more often." Izumi commented with a soft laugh.

"I could say the same for you, sempai. There's no word worthy enough to describe your beauty this afternoon." Ryoma replied with a small smile on his face. "T-thank you." Izumi stuttered as she covered her face with her sleeve once more. Her deep blush was obvious to the people beside her.

"Anyway, we should really prepare for our guests' arrival." She told them. "I'll check up on the food. Fuji-sempai, please come with me." Ryoma said as he turned around and went to the door. Fuji said nothing and simply followed the younger teen with his usual smile on his face, leaving a group of scared teens in their wake.

'Mada mada dane, sempai-tachi.'

* * *

**A/N: **I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	7. More than meets the eye

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and ShinigamiinPeru. I was supposed to update this earlier, but my internet connection was completely against me.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is another short chapter.

Please enjoy the seventh chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 7: More than meets the eye.**

By the time Ryoma and Fuji returned to the living room, everyone else was seated but strangely silent. "Did anything happen while I helped Echizen cook dinner?" Fuji asked as he placed the three trays of tea on the table. Ryoma studied everyone else's faces as he placed his own three trays of tea on the other side of the table.

"We were talking about the surprise guests that would be arriving a few minutes from now." Izumi casually replied as she leaned forward to take a cup of tea. "I take it that they didn't understand?" Ryoma casually asked as he took his own cup of tea before sitting down beside Izumi, who simply nodded.

"Who are these guests anyway, Hanabi-sempai?" Kirihara asked. "They are Echizen-kun's grandparents from his mother's side." Izumi replied with a blank look on her face. "What kind of people are they?" Eiji asked. Many of the teens looked at Inui. "I don't have any data on them." Inui said. Most of the teens in the room had shocked faces. "Takeuchi Toushirou-san and Ikimura Ameko-san are the names of Echizen-kun's grandparents."

Everyone looked at the person who said it, who was surprisingly Oshitari Yuushi. "How do you know that?" Fuji asked. "They are quite well-known among the higher-class people, as even ore-sama knows about them. You plebeians probably haven't heard about them." Atobe answered haughtily. "And for what reason are they well-known?" Yukimura asked with a smile on his face.

"Takeuchi Toushirou-san is the current owner of the Takeuchi Corporation, which handles hotels and restaurants all over the globe. Most of their branches are here in Japan, where the main headquarters could be found. Meanwhile, Ikimura Ameko-san is the sister of the current owner – Ikimura Hisoka-san – of the Ikimura Corporation, which handles hospitals and rehabilitation centers. They only have a small amount of branches abroad and the main headquarters could be found here in Japan as well. Even though she is the sister of the current owner, she has a tight hold on the company as well." Oshitari replied.

"So that means Echizen is the heir for **two** big-time companies?" Momo asked in an astonished voice. "Not really." Ryoma answered. "What do you mean?" Taka asked. "Hisoka-oji-san's son has a family." Ryoma replied. Momo was about to ask another question but the doorbell suddenly rang. "That must be them." Ryoma muttered as he stood up. Izumi nodded before leaving the room with the younger teen.

"Good evening, obaa-sama, oji-sama." Ryoma greeted them as he opened the door. "Good evening, Ryoma." Toushirou patted the young boy's head lightly with a smile on his face. "Please do come in." Ryoma said after giving his grandfather a smile.

"Good evening, Takeuchi-sama, Toushirou-sama." Izumi greeted by the door of the living room. "Good evening, Izumi-san." Toushirou replied. Izumi nodded before leading them inside. "Please have some tea." Izumi told them once they were seated. "Thank you." The two elders said before taking a cup of tea. "Who are these fine young men with you and Ryoma, Izumi-san?" Toushirou asked. "They are our friends who were staying over for some training, oji-sama." Ryoma answered. "I see." Toushirou replied thoughtfully.

The teens introduced themselves one by one to the two guests. "It's nice to meet all of you. My name is Takeuchi Toushirou and my wife's name is Takeuchi Ameko. You may refer to me by my given name as to not confuse me with my wife." Toushirou replied once they were done. "You have chosen your friends well, Ryoma." Ameko commented with a soft smile. "Thank you, obaa-sama." Ryoma replied with smile.

"Please excuse me. I'll just check if dinner is ready to be served." Ryoma said before leaving the room. "So, which schools are you from?" Toushirou asked. Each and every one of them said the name of their Alma matter. "It seems like you're not having any problems with them, Izumi-san." Ameko commented. "Your grandson is helping me quite well in keeping them at bay. Your daughter, her husband and his niece were very kind to volunteer to help me with their training too." Izumi replied.

"We know about them helping you in training. We were with them for most of the afternoon and decided to visit when we found out Ryoma was here." Toushirou told her. "I see." Izumi replied before a knock was heard. "Dinner is ready." Ryoma said after he entered the room. Everyone stood up then headed straight to the dining hall next to the kitchen.

Everyone in the Fox room (Ryoma, Fuji, Oshitari, Yagyuu, Kirihara, Shiraishi, Kajimoto and Saeki) had helped bring out the food and distribute it to everyone. "My, my… What a feast!" Toushirou exclaimed when he saw the quality and amount of food served. "Who is the chef?" Ameko asked after taking a taste of one of the dishes served.

"It is I, obaa-sama." Ryoma replied. "You have outdone yourself once again, Ryoma." Ameko told him with a smile on her face. "I agree with you, anata. The food is delicious!" Toushirou happily said after tasting a different dish. Soon, all of them started eating and gave Ryoma praise for his excellent cooking.

"I never knew Echizen could cook so well." Momo suddenly said. Toushirou heard this and looked at his grandson only to see him bow his head in embarrassment. 'It is good to see that you are finally opening up to others, Ryoma.' He thought happily before he resumed eating.

After dinner, Toushirou told them that he and his wife must leave. "We should be on our way now. I am glad that I was able to have dinner with you and your friends, Ryoma." He said to his grandson. "I am glad too, oji-sama. Please be careful on your way home." Ryoma told him. "Yes, we will. We'll see you soon. Goodbye." Toushirou said before escorting his wife out of the temple.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	8. A Crying Soul

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to shely12.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is another short chapter.

Please enjoy the eighth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Beyond the outer appearances lies a crying soul.**

"You have very weird grandparents, Echizen. Your grandmother is very quiet too." Momo said once the elderly couple was gone. "Obaa-sama is oji-sama's second wife." Ryoma simply replied before sitting down gracelessly on the nearest couch. "What about the weird form of formalities with them?" Eiji asked. "Obaa-sama is a woman of few words, while oji-sama is a more social person." Ryoma tiredly explained.

"Echizen, someone's on the phone and that person wants to talk to you." Fuji said as he casually walked into the room. The black-haired teen frowned as he stood up before taking the phone out of Fuji's hand. "Matte, Echizen-kun!" Izumi said, knowing that she and the others still have things to ask him. "Mada mada dane, sempai-tachi." He muttered before leaving the room.

Izumi sighed before facing the teens with her. "There's nothing we can do now. Everyone, go back to your rooms and get some rest. Tomorrow we will pack for our departure for the day after tomorrow." She told them with a smile. The other teens sighed before leaving, but as they left, Yukimura had entered the room.

"Let's follow them. Come on, Yukimura-kun." Izumi said before leaving the room as well. "Hai, hai, Hanabi-chan." Yukimura replied with a smile as he followed the red-head. When they heard Ryoma's voice, they stopped and made sure they remained hidden even though the two males were not facing them.

"I can't go tomorrow. I have training camp." Ryoma sounded tired, much like earlier. He was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. "Tell him that if he wants me to come, he has to have someone pick me up. It's my last day here in Tokyo." Ryoma had said with an annoyed tone of voice.

He was silent again, but this time, for a few minutes. "Hai. Hai." Ryoma said with a nod every other time. Izumi and Yukimura had guessed that he was either being informed or receiving orders from their unknown caller. "Okay. Just make sure he remembers what I told you. Goodbye." He said before hanging up and keeping away his phone.

"Ryoma." A voice suddenly broke the silence. "Yes, Akaya?" The said boy asked as he faced the one who called him. "Be careful tomorrow." The older teen replied with a seriousness that was new to the two eavesdroppers as he sat next to the younger teen. They had no idea what he was talking about.

"No need to worry about me, Akaya." Ryoma said. Kirihara made the younger teen face him. The caring look they saw in Kirihara's face had surprised the two eavesdroppers to a certain extent. The older dark-haired teen was always depicted as childish, idiotic teen. That, though, was easily forgotten when Ryoma had given the older male a soft but sincere smile.

"I never knew Echizen-kun could smile like that again." Izumi said in a sad tone that did not go unnoticed to the blue-haired teen beside her. Yukimura decided to ask her about that later when they are alone.

"Anyway, we should get some rest." Kirihara said as he closed his eyes once again. Soon, the two males stood up and left, going through the passage opposite from where they came, which where Izumi and Yukimura were hiding. Once they were gone, Izumi and Yukimura went back to the room they came from.

"Hanabi-chan?" The said teen looked at the male only to see his usual smile gone from his face. "Hai?" She asked, completely clueless on why the teen before her was so serious at the moment. "What did you mean by your statement earlier?" He asked straightforwardly. "What statement?" She asked nervously. 'I didn't notice I said it out loud!' She inwardly panicked. "You said something about not knowing Echizen-kun could smile like he did earlier again. Why is that?" He asked. She sighed in defeat.

"You see, I've been with Echizen-kun for a long time now, about three years. Ever since he moved here, he spent a lot of time helping me take care of the temple. Because of that, we gradually became friends, though it wasn't easy with him being an anti-social brat at first." Izumi told him; her voice was steady all the while.

"Echizen-kun, well… He is a very sweet boy." Izumi said with a soft smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Though he acts like a total brat when you first know him, he has a really soft and caring side which he shows to people whom he cares about. It's quite hard to believe, neh?" Izumi lightly chuckled at that, but expression soon turned gloomy.

"In all the time I spent with him, I have only seen him smile sincerely for only a handful of times." Izumi told him. "At what times?" Yukimura couldn't stand not to ask.

"It was all with Kirihara Akaya-kun, your teammate." She answered.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay. Trouble is brewing in this chapter. Anyway, this is where the fun spikes up. (insert-evil-grin-here)

I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	9. Confessions are never easy

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe, ShinigamiinPeru and ArticFox-14.

**KiTtEn18sMiLe:** Thank you for pointing out my little mistake! Knowing the perfectionist I tend to be, I just _need_ to add it. hehehehe...

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is another short chapter.

Please enjoy the ninth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Confessions are never easy.**

"What happened?" Yukimura asked as he couldn't stop himself again. It now concerned his youngest teammate, who he first assumed was not that close to Seigaku's freshman prodigy. A dark look came upon Izumi's face. "I don't know the details but, something happened between them during his middle school graduation." She replied, the expression in her face unchanging.

"You shouldn't be talking about other people's personal matters like that, Hanabi-sempai."

Izumi gasped as she turned her head towards the source of the voice to see the topic of their conversation, Echizen Ryoma, with Kirihara by his side. "Why are you so curious about what happened then, sempai?" Ryoma asked, with no ounce of tiredness or sleepiness evident in his voice or stature. "It was after _that_ day that I did not see your kind side, your caring side, anymore." She started in a low voice.

"I was so worried. I wondered on what had previously happened that made you like you are now." She muttered as she wrapped her arms around herself as if she was cold. "I felt an ominous feeling every time I remember that day, as if something had gone terribly wrong." She whispered as she stared into nothing, forgetting about the two other males in the room.

All of a sudden, she felt warmth surround her, and it forced her to tears. She latched on to the source, gripping hard on the cloth she first touched. The source told her to hush. "I'm sorry that I didn't notice that you felt this way, Izumi-sempai." He whispered to her ear in his caring voice that she had missed so much.

"I was so caught up with the others that in first glance, I thought you were alright. I should've known that you were hurting inside." His hold tightened around her, which made her look up to his face. She noticed the tears that managed to fall from his eyes that were obviously forced shut. He took down his mask of aloofness and monotony in order to comfort _her_.

"Ryoma-kun." She managed to squeak out, but it came out pained, full of sorrow. She adjusted their position so that they were leveled and hung her head over his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around him and drew soothing circles on his back. "I shouldn't have imposed this on anyone, mostly on you, Ryoma-kun, but…" She drifted off.

"But?" Ryoma had pulled away to look at her eye-to-eye, but then he noticed that she had hidden herself away again and stared at her lap; her downcast gaze shadowing her eyes from his view. Using his finger, he forced her to look at him, straight to his eyes to convey the emotion he didn't want the two other teens to know.

"I love you, Ryoma-kun."

* * *

**A/N:** So, things are finally coming into motion, neh? hehehehe...

I forgot to mention in the previous chapter but I'll just write it here. There will be random shounen-ai moments, but nothing too drastic. The genre is still **friendship**, _not_ romance, so yeah... I probably won't be doing much with it but to please my urges to fit some love in random moments. (insert-nervous-laugh-here)

I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	10. Whatever happens happens

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and ArticFox-14.

Like I promised, there will be a double update today. So, wait up for the other chapter!

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is another short chapter.

Please enjoy the tenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 10: Whatever happens happens.**

Yukimura's and Kirihara's interests peeked at her confession, but Ryoma's expression did not change, as if he knew it all along. The two teens, which had been ignored by the other two in the room, were being ignored still, as if Izumi and Ryoma were in a world of their own.

"I know. I love you too." Izumi's expression did not change with his reply. This made the two other teens curious on where their conversation was heading to.

"You are like the brother I never had, the younger sibling I always wanted, the family I dreamed to have and cherish, but when I saw what happened to you that day, I felt as if you drifted away from me so suddenly. It felt like I had failed to protect the only family I kind of had." Izumi's gaze fell down, but once again, Ryoma made her look at him.

"I apologize for making you experience that. Though I never meant that to happen, my thoughtless actions still let it happen." Ryoma replied in a low voice. "I am truly sorry." He said in his normal voice, but the tone he used was the caring one Izumi knew. With that, she wiped away her tears and smiled.

"I'm glad to have you back, otouto." She said before enveloping the younger teen in a tight hug, as if she was afraid that he'll fly away and disappear once more, but then, he'll be out of her reach. 'I won't let it happen again. I won't go careless with Izumi-sem- I mean Izumi-nee-san again.' Ryoma seriously thought as he returned her hug.

"We're glad that the two of you are finally able to reconcile."

They pulled away and faced the two teens they had previously ignored. "So, how about you two explain what just happened, in reconciliation for ignoring us for the past _hour_?" Yukimura kindly suggested. Izumi chuckled nervously while Ryoma simply composed himself. He positioned himself across his roommate and companion, Kirihara.

"Will it be enough if I just tell you two what happened on _that day_?" Ryoma asked Izumi and Yukimura nonchalantly. The two teens looked at each other for a moment before giving a nod at him. "Listen closely because I will not repeat this again." He told them with the previous seriousness they saw earlier come back for a moment.

"Echizen Nanjirou is not my actual father." He told them in a straight voice. Looks of shock appeared on Izumi's and Yukimura's faces, but the latter was able to recover immediately. "What does this fact have to do with Akaya, Echizen-kun?" Yukimura asked him. "Kirihara-sempai, for some reason I do not know, was able to notice that, and had asked me about it." Ryoma gave a look at Kirihara, which the older teen understood.

"Echizen and I had been hanging out a lot during the rest of his middle school years. When I asked him about that during his graduation, he had explained to me the details about his family. His unusual behavior was because of the possibility that other people might've noticed it as well." Kirihara explained which brought shock to both Izumi and Yukimura.

"So, you two are telling me that this whole thing started because you were worried about the possibility the others might've noticed it as well." Izumi said with disbelief evident in her current expression. "Hai." Ryoma simply replied. Izumi took a deep sigh before erupting into a fit of chuckles. "I never knew you were this troublesome, otouto!" She said in between chuckles.

Ryoma gave Kirihara a look which the older simply nodded in reply. This silent exchange did not go unnoticed to the blue-haired teen. A look of relief appeared on the younger teen's face before a yawn escaped from his lips. "We better get some rest." Yukimura said which the three other teens nodded in reply to. He and Izumi left the room first.

"Arigatou, Akaya." Ryoma suddenly said when the two teens had left. Kirihara smiled before placing an arm around the younger's shoulders. "We should get some sleep as well. It would be a busy day tomorrow. Am I right, Ryoma?" Kirihara asked in his usual mischievous tone. "Hai." Ryoma replied, but instead of standing up, he cuddled into Kirihara's one-armed embrace.

"Ryoma, don't fall asleep here." Kirihara's smile grew wider when the dark-haired teen simply wrapped his arms around his waist. "Too sleepy..." Ryoma managed to mutter in the sudden wave of sleepiness he felt. "You're a brat, you know that." Kirihara whispered into the younger teen's ear with a smirk.

Needless to say, the dark-haired male instantly woke up from his sleepy daze and sat up straight. He glared at the dark-haired teen next to him. When a familiar smirk appeared on his face, Kirihara grew curious but retained the smirk on his face. Ryoma stood up and stretched for a bit. When Kirihara was about to do the same, he was suddenly blocked by the smaller male's frame.

He was sandwiched between the couch and Ryoma, which he did not mind the least. When Ryoma had leveled his gaze with him, he wondered what the younger teen was planning. Then suddenly, in a second, he felt pressure on his lips which was gone as fast as it came, leaving him in a state of shock as the younger teen simply walked away.

"Mada mada dane, Akaya."

* * *

**A/N:** OMG! Ryoma? O.O

So, I didn't want too spoil it, so yeah... Hope no one minds too much. It's really part of the story. I promise! :D

I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	11. It is time to depart

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and ArticFox-14 as well.

Like I promised, there will be a double update today. So, wait up for the other chapter!

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is another short chapter.

We've come along a long way so here it goes, the eleventh chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 11: It is time to depart.**

The next morning, Kirihara woke up in a brighter mood and felt more energized than ever before. When he saw Ryoma alone, the first thing he did was corner him, but when a ringing sound reached his ears, he knew it would have to wait. He and Ryoma ran towards the source of the sound, which was outside. When they were there though, they saw a lone female clad in a pale-peach-colored kimono with bells by her feet.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" Izumi asked in a harsh tone as she positioned herself in a fighting stance. "My name is Sachiko and I am merely a messenger." The female replied as the bells stopped ringing. "Who sent you here?" Izumi asked, her eyes not wavering from the peculiar female in front of them. "My master is the one who sent me here." Sachiko replied.

The female bowed down to pick up the bells, which in turn gave Izumi a small peek of a pale peach-pink bushy tail, similar to the hair color of the peculiar female named Sachiko. "Leave this place for your kind are not welcome here." Izumi ordered as she pulled something out of her yukata.

When Sachiko did not make a move to leave or advance, Izumi threw a piece of paper which was weighed by the small rock tied to it. The paper had weird, unfamiliar writings which only some of the males were able to notice. When the paper was only a couple inches away, it was struck down by a rock, slightly bigger in size than the one tied to the paper.

"You shouldn't be such a presumptuous Fighter, Hanabi Izumi."

The shocked female and tennis players turned towards the source, which was surprisingly Echizen Ryoma. His eyes were shadowed by his bangs but his frown was completely visible. The other tennis players had moved back by a couple of steps to give the two teens some space.

"What are you talking about, otouto?" Izumi voice trembled as she tried to deny the truth of what was happening. Ryoma simply smirked at her as he walked forward. When he turned his gaze to Izumi, she gasped at what she saw. "Who are you and what did you do with Ryoma-kun?" She asked with a glare.

"What are you talking about, nee-san? I am Ryoma." He replied with an edge on his voice. "Liar!" Izumi cried out as she retained her fighting stance, but Ryoma did not mind her. He walked pass her and straight to where Sachiko was. Afterwards, he held on to Sachiko as she began ringing the bells in her hands.

"Humans shouldn't be too presumptuous. Mada mada dane."

That was the last thing Ryoma said before they disappeared in a whirlwind of leaves. The remaining teens were left staring at the place where Ryoma and the mysterious female had disappeared on. It was only by hearing Izumi cry when she slumped on the ground did they shake out of their stupor.

Yukimura was the first one who reached her. He had tried to comfort her but she slapped away any physical contact. In a few moments, Tezuka stepped forward and took his cousin into his arms, and the female instantly latched on to him.

He carried her inside and sat her down on the nearest couch. The rest of the teens followed suit and took their seats in the very spacey living room. "Izumi." Tezuka said, but the female kept on her silent crying as she sat with her legs against her chest. They remained like that with a few minutes of silence, the other teens giving curious and wondering looks at her and each other.

"What just happened to Echizen?" Saeki asked the question that was in the minds of every male in the room. "They must have teleported somewhere, probably another world." Izumi informed them blankly, her voice devoid of any emotion. Some of the teens looked at each other with wondering looks on their faces.

"Hanabi-chan, it is probably the right time for you to explain to them what is happening." Yukimura told her. Izumi sighed before nodding, no emotion in her face whatsoever. "Like otouto- I mean Ryoma-kun said earlier, I am a Fighter, a kind of gifted being. I was raised in a temple back in Kanagawa. I can create charms, dispel evil spirits and such." She told them carelessly.

"In this world, there are two kinds of beings. There are the normal ones and there are the gifted ones, which are divided into two kinds: Fighters and Creatures. Though everyone is human, Creatures see themselves as more advanced or developed than the human race." Izumi informed them, her voice growing serious by the second.

"Basing from what happened earlier, I think Ryoma-kun is one of the Creatures."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	12. There is a new face in town

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to Beccann, KiTtEn18sMiLe and ArticFox-14.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. This is where the slight AU-ness of my story kicks in, just so you know. :DD

We've come along a long way so here it goes, the twelfth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 12: There is a new face in town.**

Izumi was about to explain further when Ryoma walked into the room. The black-haired teen simply nodded his head in greeting. "Otouto, you came back!" Izumi cried as she jumped towards the black-haired freshman. The male did not try to move away and let his self-proclaimed sister hug him to death.

"Young Master apologizes for the disturbance he caused earlier."

Everyone faced the source of the voice only to see the same female from earlier, Sachiko, who unlike before was wearing a casual maid outfit that reached an inch before her knees. They had not noticed her entrance as they were too distracted by the return of the black-haired freshman. Noticing the stares on her, she decided to introduce herself. "My name is Sachiko, and I am the maid of Young Master Ryoma." She said with a deep bow.

"Man, Echizen. You disappear for a few minutes only to come back with your own personal maid!" Momo exclaimed with a shocked look on his face, mirroring the reactions of some other teens in the room. "Hanabi Izumi-san?" Sachiko called out. "Yes, Sachiko-san?" Izumi sheepishly asked.

"I apologize for my treatment on you earlier. I had failed to recognize you as my master's older sister." Sachiko told her with a deep bow. "It is okay now, Sachiko-san. It would be better if Ryoma-kun explained the situation to all of us." Izumi replied. "Let me explain in Young Master's stead, Hanabi-san." Sachiko told her before they all took their seats.

"In this world, there are two kinds of beings. There are the normal humans, which makes up the majority of the world population and the gifted ones, which are divided into two: Fighters and Creatures." Sachiko started with a blank look on her face.

"Fighters and Creatures have special powers. There are small differences between them. Fighters need to use a weapon of sorts, or the use of charms, pendants and the like. Creatures on the other hand are part animal, to say the least, and do not need to use weapons or any other thing as a form of medium. Creatures have depicted themselves as better than average humans, because of this. Due to the constant discrimination, they have moved into a different world. We have no definite language there. Even if one speaks in Japanese to someone who replies in French, they will still understand each other, and would be heard as he or she understands it." Sachiko continued.

"Does this mean all we hear would only be Japanese from everyone in your world?" Eiji asked. "Yes, that is true, but when we go to your world, we would be in the standard of where we came from. This is only an exception to those who was not born in our world. There are only four main languages in our world: English, Japanese, French and Latin. Young Master and I were born and came from the area where the standard is English." She explained.

"Please do not let this new information hinder your relationship with my master." Sachiko told them, and was about to say more but Ryoma signaled her to stop. "Please stop, Sachiko, for you have said enough." Ryoma told her in a low voice.

"But Young Master-" "I said it was enough, Sachiko." Ryoma cut her off in a harsh tone, which Sachiko cowered in response to. Realizing what he just did, he placed an arm around her. With that gesture, Sachiko inwardly grew relieved and nodded in response. His actions did not go unnoticed by the others, but they were laid forgotten for that moment.

"Sachiko-san, can you please tell us a bit about yourself, both as a human and a Creature?" Izumi asked. Sachiko looked at her master who simply nodded after a few seconds. She faced the other teens and took a deep breath. She analyzed what possible kinds of humans were in the room before speaking.

"My name is simply Sachiko and I have no family name, because this was only given by Young Master. He found me back in our world and took me in. In return for his kindness, I worked, and still am working, as his personal maid. I am of seventeen years of age, just like you Hanabi-san. Unlike all of you, I do not go to school, but am being home-schooled." She started.

"My skills are sewing, playing music, and cosplaying." When she said that, a sequence of surprised statements (usually "what" and "really") were heard. "Why are you people so shocked? Is cosplaying considered an abnormal hobby here in your world?" Sachiko asked.

"It's not like that, Sachiko-san. It's more of like-" Oishi was cut off by Eiji. "Most of us here are tennis players, nya! Most of us have never really met an actual cosplayer before." Another wave of words of agreement came from the other tennis players.

"Would you like me to show you an example of one of my cosplays?" Sachiko asked. "Yes please!" Izumi cheered. When she saw the curious looks that were pointed at her, she began to explain her behavior. "I may not look like it, but I **really** like watching anime and reading manga, you guys." She said with a pout.

"Would it be okay if I cosplayed _Kazami Mizuho_ of _Director Ide Yasunori's Onegai Teacher_, Young Master?" Sachiko asked Ryoma. The boy did not fail to notice the mischief he saw in her eyes after he glanced around only to see eager faces of his sempai. 'Hentai sempai-tachi. They will pay for wanting to see Sachiko cosplay that kind of girl.' Ryoma angrily thought before he tried to think of another anime character Sachiko had introduced him to.

He gestured her to come closer when he thought of one. He whispered it to her ear, which she nodded in response. "I am ready now." Sachiko said. She left the room for a few minutes before walking back wearing a white and blue sailor uniform. She also had a devil's tail on her back and shackles on her wrists.

"That is _Yui_ of _Maeda Jun's Angel Beats!_" Izumi instantly recognized as she noticed the accessories. 'So fast…' Most of them thought in awe of her swift recognition. "I thought she was going to cosplay Mizuho." Ryoma heard someone whisper. "I really wished she cosplayed her instead." He heard another voice reply.

In his anger at what he had heard, he glared at the two teens behind him, which were Momo and Sengoku. Beside them was Wakato who looked like he was going to add something to what the two had earlier said. In an instant, he formed a small plan for them in his head. "Is something the matter, Young Master?" He heard Sachiko's worried voice ask. When he had faced her, he saw that she had already changed characters. She was now _Virgo_ of _Mashima Hiro's Fairy Tail_.

"Oh Kami-sama! To think you can cosplay Virgo as well! Please give me your autograph!" Izumi squealed. Sachiko did so and signed the paper Izumi handed her, a clueless look on her face as she did so. The red-haired female squealed once again in delight. 'Izumi-nee-san must be in heaven right now, seeing as Sachiko is cosplaying her favorite characters.' Ryoma inwardly smirked at the thought.

"Sachiko-san, could you please dress like Virgo during the whole training?" Izumi begged to the peach-pink-haired female before her. He noticed two bright-red eyes look at him for confirmation. Izumi had noticed this and had faced Ryoma as well. He sighed before giving a small hesitant nod, knowing that Sachiko was going to enjoy the said favor anyway.

"Thank you, otouto!"

* * *

**A/N:** Once again, I made an automatic disclaimer on both the characters and anime/manga mentioned! I have no connection on any of the mangakas/director mentioned either.

I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	13. This is the big move

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and ArticFox-14.

**KiTtEn18sMiLe:** I know right. :)) Ryo-chan's so lucky, neh? hehehehe...

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.

We've come along a long way so here it goes, the thirteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 13: This is the big move. The main training ground awaits us!**

It was a hectic day for everyone. After yesterday's commotion and the "Wasabi Torture" a few teens endured earlier in the morning, they had spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning up and fixing their stuff. Izumi had not returned the stuff she had kept from them, but they saw it on one corner of the leaving room. Sachiko, Ryoma's personal maid, had been a huge help to them. She could do any chore that was assigned to her, which wasn't a surprising fact due to the line of work she had chosen to do.

At that moment, all of them were standing outside Izumi's house, but was still within her property. They were waiting for her to finish her daily prayer at the temple next to her house. It was brand new to them, seeing Izumi clad in her miko kimono, saying unfamiliar words in a form of prayer.

"It's like she's a whole other person." Chitose had muttered in awe under his breath. Shiraishi, who was right next to him, had sent a questioning look at his friend. "Don't tell me you're starting to have a crush on her now, Chitose." Shiraishi warned. "Though she acts harsh to Yukimura, that doesn't mean she might not have feelings for him." He continued as he watched the miko continued her daily prayer.

"It's rare to see someone tightly bonded to their religion nowadays." Oshitari noted. "I agree, Oshiari-sempai. I admire that trait of hers." Choutarou said. "She's cool." Shishido muttered in addition. "Do you think she does this day prayer thingy even before going to school? It looks hard." Mukahi asked. The question lingered in their minds.

"She's very dedicated, neh?" Marui said to his friends. "Ah. Even back then, before she goes to school, she did that every day." Yanagi, who was her neighbor back in Kanagawa, replied. "It's kind of cool actually." Kirihara commented. A series of nods came from his sempais, who had understood her level of dedication on being a miko.

"Hanabi-sempai is so cool." Momo softly commented as he watched her do her daily prayer at the temple. He was still tending to the effects of the "Wasabi Torture" at breakfast like a few males. "The amount of time she spends on her daily prayer in the morning is approximately forty minutes and twenty-six seconds. Judging from her praying position for the last thirty-eight minutes, she had retained that particular position for many years." Inui informed them. Nods of acknowledgement were done by the rest of his teammates.

Ryoma stared at his self-proclaimed sister as she did her daily prayer, Sachiko by his side. "Why did you put wasabi in their food, Young Master?" She asked. "Some things are better left unsaid, Sachiko." He monotonously replied. He couldn't let the pink-haired female know what those perverts had been talking about when she was cosplaying.

After a couple of minutes of undisturbed silence, Izumi had cleaned up her stuff, closed the temple then changed out of her kimono. She walked out of her house in more casual clothing. "Shall we get going, everyone?" she asked with a smile on her face. Nods came from everyone.

"Everyone, I have an announcement!" She shouted, catching all the males' attentions. "Our guide would be arriving in a few seconds, so please divide yourselves by your assigned room." She ordered. They did as they were told, and when they were finished, a man who had looked so much like Niou had walked beside her.

"Hello to everyone. I am your guide to the main training grounds." He said in a smooth and deep voice. "Everyone, this is Kijou-san. He is an acquaintance of mine back in Kanagawa and an old friend of otouto's. He would be the one to take us to the main training grounds as well. He is a skilled driver of any machine used for transport be it bus, car, plane or boat." Izumi informed them with a grin on her face, her black eyes shining with glee.

* * *

The path to their destination was both narrow and dim. They were surrounded by a lush forest with thick branches and high three tops. There was only enough sunlight that could pass through the thick veil of leafage to illuminate their path, and it was still early in the afternoon.

The various flowers along their path caught the attention of the teens. There were colorful flowers of many kinds: different colored anemones, yellow tulips, tree marigolds (Nitobe Chrysanthemum), yellow pheasant's eyes, and many more. These flowers formed a kind of barrier or guide to the teens and lone adult as they walked to their destination.

Because of such circumstances, they were forced to walk towards their destination. Bikes were suggested, but they were just not enough for forty-two teens and an adult, even if they shared. The walk was long and tiring, but the place was neither too hot nor too cold, even with the thick foliage of the trees.

"Welcome to our main training center, Seibutsu Mansion!"

The sight that greeted them was a huge three-story building painted white and brown with an occasional blue. One side of the building was covered by a kind of crawling plant, Japanese ivy (also known as Japanese creeper, Grape ivy, and Boston ivy). In exception of the windows, the walls were partially covered in green.

"Is Young Master pleased with Seibutsu Mansion?" Sachiko asked when she noticed Ryoma breathing deeply. "Yes, I am." He replied with a smile. She could sense the positive aura enveloping from her master as he took in the scent of the forest into his lungs. She did the same and felt a wave of calmness enter her.

"Is something the matter, Sachiko-san?" Kajimoto asked when he noticed a tear run down her face. He was right next to her after all. "This forest is just so pure, untainted by the city's pollutions. It strongly reminds me of our world, the world of the Creatures." Sachiko replied in a whispery voice as she wiped away another stray tear. Ryoma unknowingly nodded in agreement to her statement.

After a quick tour of the area, they were sent to their rooms, which were all on the third floor, to unpack. Their coaches would be there soon, Kijou told them. In the meantime, they were allowed to walk around and explore the area, but are forbidden to go into the forest. With the amenities of the mansion, the forest was the last thing on their minds. 'Mada mada dane, sempai-tachi.' Ryoma had thought when he noticed that.

In the first floor, the meeting rooms, kitchen, dining room, main lobby, storage room and laundry room were to be found. In the second floor, this is where the library, audio-visual room, entertainment room, gym and music room are found. Lastly, the third floor mostly consisted of bedrooms, enough for all the tennis players, the two female teens and the coaches. Every bedroom had its own attached bathroom. There are also bathrooms in both the first and second floors.

From top to bottom, the furniture in the building was mostly made of hard but smooth light brown wood, much like the flooring and doors. The bathrooms and kitchen had musty white tiles for the floor. The walls and ceiling of the halls were painted a deep cream color. All of the rooms had a mute gray as their wallpaper and ceiling color. The library and music room had a more rich brown color on its walls and ceiling though.

The cloths used were soft to touch but had a certain roughness. The huge windows were covered by thick and heavy curtains that matched the rooms or halls. Random, unfamiliar paintings adorned the walls of every floor. High-tech equipment can be found in the gym, kitchen, entertainment room and audio-visual room, much to their delight. The library had a huge array of various books too.

Outside was a lot different. On one side, there was a massive rectangular pool, complete with diving boards on two ends. A few feet away from it was a small building, which was actually a shower room. On the other side, there were six tennis courts. The forest had formed a huge semi-circle around it, marking its territory. This was further outlined by the flowers beside the trunks.

All in all, the teens had agreed that Seibutsu Mansion was both luxurious and simple in its own glory. Even Atobe, knowing the pompous rich heir he is, had acknowledged and complimented it. The surprising fact that they only found out about later that evening was that Ryoma, himself, was owner of the place. "Mada mada dane, sempai-tachi." He simply said, though it was hardly an answer for most of their questions.

"I have tried to research about this place but I could not find much information. Could you inform us of this place of yours, Echizen?"

* * *

**A/N:** I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	14. Things are not always what you expect

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Just a short chapter for today. I haven't been feeling too well lately. :(

We've come along a long way so here it goes, the fourteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 14: Things are not always what you expect.**

"This mansion was built before I owned this area, which my grandparents had bought for me as a Christmas and birthday present a few years ago. Most of the furniture you see here are from the previous owners. I had only replaced some furniture and equipment. I added some stuff around inside the mansion and had some flowers planted outside. The tennis courts and pool are from my parents. I had most of the whole mansion redesigned." Ryoma told them in a bored tone.

They never expected such grand gifts that Ryoma had received on both Christmas and his birthday. It was something they more or less expected to happen to Atobe, or any other regular of the Hyotei team. "Ore-sama wants to know who designed this grand mansion." Atobe suddenly said. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Monkey King, but I personally redesigned this place." Ryoma replied with a smirk on his face.

"Stop calling ore-sama with such a horrid nickname, brat." Atobe ordered in an annoyed tone. "Yadda, Monkey King." Ryoma retorted with a proud smirk. Atobe was about to retort back, but a sudden crashing sound from the kitchen distracted all of them. Ryoma didn't spare another moment and headed straight to the kitchen. The rest soon followed only to stumble on a very unusual situation.

Sachiko was lying on her back, unconscious, with Ryoma fretting over her like a worried mother. Needless to say, this caused a small chorus of chuckles from the teens, temporarily ignoring the fact that Sachiko was unconscious.

"Instead of laughing, maybe you guys should help me take care of Sachiko. She's badly wounded." Ryoma told them in a harsh, angry tone. It was then did they only notice the small pool of red liquid beside the unconscious female. Izumi, being the first one to snap out of her stupor, approached them and was about to lift the Sachiko.

"Don't touch her!" Ryoma suddenly hissed, making Izumi pull back her hands as if she was burned. The male did not notice what he had just done and simply continued what he was doing before, checking the unconscious female for any more wounds, just to check if it was okay for her to be carried by a person normally and not in a stretcher.

The other males were shocked at Ryoma's sudden reaction, but were easily shaken out of their shock by Izumi's voice. "Could some of you please help me clean up this mess?" It was only then did they notice the numerous shards of colored glass on the white tiled floor. Some of them ran out of the room to find some cleaning materials while the others accompanied Izumi in picking up the larger pieces of glass.

"I'll bring Sachiko to her room." They heard Ryoma say before the said teen walked out with the unconscious female in his arms. They could only stare at the door which he disappeared to. When they looked back to where they found Sachiko lying on the floor, they noticed a few droplets of the same fluid, which were a few inches away from the main pool, were mixed with some small shards of glass.

'Otouto must've-!' Izumi's line of thought was cut off when she and the others heard Ryoma's pained scream. She instantly rushed towards the source of the scream only to see him lying on the foot of the stairs on the second floor, his eyes closed in pain and his face frozen in a grimace. His arms were wrapped around the still unconscious Sachiko.

"Otouto! What happened?" She worriedly asked. "I just lost my footing, nee-san." He answered, but when he tried to stand up, he winced. Ignoring the increasing pain in his legs, he stood up with Sachiko still in his arms. "We'll continue our conversation in her room." Ryoma told her before he started climbing the steps.

Izumi sighed dejectedly. 'Otouto is just so stubborn.' She lightly thought which was laced with both humor and worry. She went back to the kitchen to inform the other teens of what Ryoma told her. They cleaned up the kitchen and went to the third floor as fast as possible, but they only stopped in front of the staircase for they did not know which room was Sachiko's.

"Sempai-tachi." They turned their heads to the right to see Ryoma in front of a door that was much different than the others for unlike most doors, the wood used was a darker and deeper brown. They didn't notice it at first for it was the farthest room from the staircase. Soon, they were sitting in long, lush couches inside the majestic room. The inside of the room was just as different as its door.

The walls were painted a pale lilac color with widely-spaced vertical violet pin stripes. The ceiling was painted a slightly darker shade than the one used on the walls. The cloth used was smoother than the ones used in other rooms. The furniture was like the door, made with wood that had a darker and deeper brown.

"This is Sachiko's personal room." Ryoma told them when he noticed them gawking at everything in the room. The teens nodded in understanding, finally knowing the reason why the room was so personalized compared to their shared rooms. Ryoma sat down on the lush brown club chair nearest to the queen-sized bed.

"Ask anything you want to know about this place." Ryoma told them. "Are there interesting facts and rumors about this place?" Inui asked. The younger teen looked thoughtful for a few minutes before his features turned dark.

"I have heard some weird tales about the previous owners of this place."

* * *

**A/N:** I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	15. The history of the place holds the truth

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Artic-Fox 14. :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. **Character death.**

We've come along a long way so here it goes, the fifteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 15: The history of the place holds the truth.**

A few teens paled at what Ryoma had said. "Weird tales?" Gakuto asked in disbelief, but in his mind, he wished that Ryoma was only joking. The boy nodded in reply. "I have heard some tales about the previous owners of this area." He added, which was to the dismay of some frightened tennis players in the room.

"Like what, Echizen?" Shiraishi asked with a gleam on his eyes. He had always like to hear about histories of houses, mostly the weird ones. They were exciting, to say the least. "Well, the oldest one would be about a few decades ago. This land was first formally owned by a family, and has been passed down for generations. I'm the third owner who is not from that family." Ryoma informed them.

"It was said that this area used to be inhabited by numerous animals, but sometime during the first family's ownership, the animals gradually disappeared during the day. At night, you can only hear a handful of sounds made by animals. At that time, the loss of animals is a kind of ill omen for such a virgin forest." Ryoma informed them.

A small silence came upon the teens, emphasizing Ryoma's point. They haven't heard or seen one animal ever since they had reached the mansion. A weird feeling descended upon them, but before anyone could act on it, Ryoma spoke once more.

"The first family, as I had told you, had owned this place for many generations but they sold it after a few years because of the eerie forest. The second family, the first not from the family who owned this, didn't last long though. They were brutally murdered after staying here for a few months. Their bodies were never found, but the house was painted with their blood." Ryoma's voice grew cold when he told them that.

"After two years, a real estate agent was able to sell this place, who was the previous owner before me. They were a family of five, made up of a father, a mother, a son and two daughters. They had stayed here in peace for nearly a year before a casualty happened." He continued as he turned his head to look at the view behind him.

"One time, the son was playing outside. When night fell, he hadn't come back inside. His parents and sisters searched for him everywhere in the clearing but there was no trace of him. It was then did they finally decide to set foot into the forest. They could've waited for morning, but the mother's worry forced them to continue." He tightened his fist as he remembered the story.

"As they walked around as a group, they stumbled upon the boy's cap, a proof that the boy had passed there. They continued their search until they reached a huge lake. It was there did the find the boy, huddled and crying by the bank. The mother was the first to reach him. It was a magnificent reunion, as I was told." Ryoma's voice was light but his face portrayed the opposite.

All of a sudden, the room they were in spun then soon warped into a small clearing at night next to a huge lake which looked pretty deep as well. Near the bank of the lake were flowers, red spider lilies, and small boulders which almost circled the whole lake. The forest around them looked the same, but also slightly different. A small cry shook them out of their reverie and into the scene unfolding before them.

By the edge of the lake, just like in Ryoma's story, was a family of five, who all had an uncanny resemblance to their friends. The father was like Tezuka, complete with the thin-rimmed glasses and shaggy brown hair, but the father had a smile on his face. The daughters looked a lot like Izumi and Sachiko, mostly with their eccentric hair color a light shade of red, and they had big smiles of relief on their faces.

The mother had a striking resemblance to Eiji, with her bright smile and her hair though was of a toned-down red. The son's face was out of their view at first but when he hugged his mother, what they saw shocked them all. 'Echizen!' They all thought, and looked around in search for the young male. He wasn't there.

"It was cut short though, their reunion I mean. Their happiness was shot down and had sunk in a few mere seconds." Ryoma's voice rang in the air, but it seemed like only they could hear his voice. They turned their eyes towards the scene before them.

The Ryoma-look-alike had a dark grin on his face as he hugged his mother. "**Oh, Ray! You had us all worried!**" The mother cried; her voice was full of worry. Her cries were the only sound at the moment.

The group of teens knew that she was speaking in English, but for some reason they did not know, all of them had understood her perfectly.

"**I'm sorry, Mother.**" The boy whispered in a soft voice before a splash of red appeared before his eyes. The daughters' screams sounded like loudly ringing bells to their ears. The look on their faces was that of horror and fear.

The mother fell back to the lake with a horrified and hurt look on her face as the boy named Ray let her go. Her body sunk down in a matter of seconds with her thick clothing weighing her down, leaving a trail of blood in the water which gradually disappeared. "**Why did you do that, Ray?**" The taller one of the girls cried as she kneeled next to her brother. Ray did not reply but he had a maniacal grin dancing on his lips.

The large group of teens felt a cold shiver go up their spines. The fact that the little boy named Ray had a huge resemblance with their friend – the scar that ran over his left eye the only difference – did not decrease the foreboding feeling they had in the pits of their stomachs.

Ray's sisters were kneeling beside him, asking him to tell them his reason for shooting their mother in the chest at point blank. The father, on the other hand, was standing were his wife had fell into the lake. She had drifted away a few more feet into the middle of the lake before she had sunk down, disappearing from his sight.

"**Ray, why did you kill her?"** The father's deep voice rang in the air, his voice shaky and unsure. His back was facing Ray and his sisters. Ray's response, however, was downright unusual. He sang. His voice ringing in the air like a wind chime, but the weight of it felt like a ton.

"Then he sang this odd little nursery rhyme."

"**London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down. London Bridge is falling down, my fair lady.**"

Ryoma sang, happening to stay in sync with Ray. Ray's chime-like voice molded with Ryoma's. The grin in the cherub-like face of the little boy in front of them was gone, and was replaced by small smile. He ignored the blood in his hands and arms as he stared up into the starless night sky, the full moon at its peak.

Near the end of the song, Ryoma's and Ray's voices melded into one as the world spun, and soon, they were all back in the room as Ryoma sang the last line. When the teen looked at the others' expressions, he saw scared and horrified looks among them. "What happened to you guys?" He asked.

"We saw the events o fthat night you were talking about, otouto." Izumi shakily replied. "Yeah, they looked a lot like the people we know." Youhei and Kouhei added at the same time. They noticed Ryoma's eyes widening at their revelation before he looked down as he fished something out of his pocket, careful not to move too much as to not increase the pain in his knees. "Are these the people you saw?" He asked as he handed the picture in his hand to person closest to him, who happened to be Kirihara.

The older black-haired teen took the picture and checked the faces of the people in the picture. "Yes, they are the people we saw." He replied as he handed the picture back to the younger teen who look bewildered at his response for a second. "Who are they, Echizen?" Saeki asked.

"They are the previous owners of this house."

* * *

**A/N:** The words in bold face are spoken in English. Unless specifically stated otherwise, this format is standard for the story format.

Okay. The 'London Bridge'-thing was inspired by _**Kuroshitsuji**_. (Not Mine!)

You know those episodes where Drocell sings some lines of the said nursery rhyme to carry out orders for his puppets, and were Sebastian sings it to defeat the puppets made of steel? Yeah, **that**. After watching Kuroshitsuji, I never heard 'London Bridge' as the same ever again. (Sebastian's voice is _so_- *shudders and melts*)

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	16. He was not feeling well

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Artic-Fox 14. :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.**  
**

We've come along a long way so here it goes, the sixteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 16: He was not feeling well.**

"Inui-sempai, were you able to get the name of the family who previously owned this place?" Ryoma asked his glasses-wearing teammate. "Yes, they are the Hanabusa family. They moved here from London a couple of years ago." Inui replied. Ryoma nodded in acknowledgement.

"The parents are Akito and Julian Hanabusa. Their daughters are Mary and Lillian Hanabusa. Their only son is Ray Hanabusa. The eldest is Mary, followed by Lillian then Ray, with a two-year gap from each other." Ryoma informed them as he pointed them out in the picture.

"What happened after the mother died?" Momo asked. "They moved out and lived elsewhere. The real estate agent had tried to sell this house numerous times again before my grandparents bought it. All the potential owners had kept declining after getting an ominous feeling, or as I heard from the real estate agent." Ryoma answered.

"Were they able to find her body?" Choutarou asked him. He and the others looked expectantly at the black-haired freshman. Ryoma frowned and shook his head from side to side. The others felt down when they saw that. "What happened to Ray?" Chitose asked. "His family didn't expose the murder, so he wasn't put into prison or to court. They only said that Julian fell into the river one cold night and they found her hat by the river bank." Ryoma answered.

"Why do you know that?" Inui asked. "I have accessed more memories about this place before." Ryoma replied. "By the way, how were we able to see that scene?" Gakuto asked. His question caused a wave of whispers to the teens around him. He did make a point. Not one of the teens knew how they were even able to see the past. "Was it your doing, otouto? You said you have accessed other memories here before." Izumi asked, making the other males quiet down. They all looked at Ryoma, wanting to know his answer.

"No, it wasn't me." Ryoma admitted. Izumi thought for a while, before an idea came to her. "Could it be Sachiko-san's doing? I'm sure it wasn't me because I don't know how to do that." Izumi said. They all looked at the bed to see Sachiko sitting upright, her face downcast and shadowed by her long bangs.

"Was it you, Sachiko?" Ryoma asked. "Yes, it was me, but not on purpose." Sachiko answered. This brought confusion to the normal teens. "When Creatures get knocked out, their control on their powers weakens for a certain amount of time. This sometimes causes unknown phenomena to happen. It is the same for Fighters, but weaker in comparison to those of Creatures because they need a medium when they are conscious." Sachiko explained.

"That means we actually traveled to the past?" Marui asked in disbelief. "No, we only accessed a memory like Young Master did in the past. I merely showed you a lingering memory of this mansion." Sachiko answered. "I only renovated and redesigned the mansion, like the previous families did." Ryoma added to let them further understand the situation. "How would you define 'lingering memory of the mansion'? This is the first time I ever heard such a thing." Izumi asked with cluelessness evident on her face.

"This mansion has been standing here for many generations and has witnessed the passing of many individuals. These individuals had made memories in this mansion, which stayed here until today." Ryoma told her. "I still don't understand." Momo told him. Ryoma sighed in defeat.

"There are rumors that spirits lurk in the whole area. This mansion has been here since before the first family who formally took ownership. Such old buildings tend to have a few lingering memories from its previous inhabitants. The stronger the memory, the longer it stays." Ryoma explained.

"So it's like the smell a person's shampoo is left on the pillow where he laid his head on the night before?" Yuuta asked. Ryoma nodded before he faced Sachiko. "What happened to you earlier, Sachiko?" He asked; his voice had a tinge of worry. "I do not know myself, Young Master. I was washing the dishes when I suddenly felt faint before I lost consciousness." She replied.

Silence soon enveloped the teens in the room after Sachiko spoke. It was soon broken by the heavy knocks they heard. "Someone's at the door." Ryoma informed them before he walked out of the room. Nobody but a select few had noticed the slight limp in his steps.

"Well, let's leave now to give Sachiko-san more time to rest." Izumi said before she left the room as well. The other teens followed her in suit. When all of them had left the room, they saw Ryoma slowly climbing up the stairs with four adults behind him. They were Ryuzaki Sumire, Watanabe Osamu, Sasaki Taro, and Hanamura Aoi, their assigned coaches.

They approached the four adults in an instant. "Sensei-tachi!" They greeted with a bow. "I'm glad all of you were able to get here safely. Has Ryoma told you about this place?" Ryuuzaki asked. "Hai. He also gave us a tour of the mansion, Ryuuzaki-sensei." Izumi replied in behalf of everyone. The boys behind her had simply nodded in agreement.

"Training would start tomorrow, so all of your rest up and relax for today." Ryuuzaki told them before she and the other coaches were lead to their rooms. The others soon dissipated into numerous groups and walked off into various places.

Later that evening, they were summoned to the dining room for dinner, which was made by Ryoma and Izumi though the latter mostly did the cooking with the former having injuries and all. Sachiko was excused for that night and was to stay in her room. The others assigned under Fox were the ones who called the others and set up the dining room. That night, their dinner was much like the one they had when Ryoma's grandparents visited Izumi's place. It was a feast.

After dinner, all of them once again disappeared into the mansion. Some went to the entertainment room or the gym to train or play games. Some went back to their rooms. Ryoma, on the other hand, remained in the kitchen, making Sachiko's favorite tea. He sat down to ease the pain in his knees while he waited for the water to boil.

He double checked his bandages as he waited. The cuts were deep, and many shards were dug into his skin before he cleaned it. As he popped another painkiller in his mouth, the soft whistle of the kettle brought his out of his thoughts. He poured the hot water to the prepared tea pot.

He took the jar of honey beside it and proceeded to pour in a teaspoon of the sweet liquid. He got some in his finger, which he tasted. 'Too sweet.' He thought as he mixed the tea. He placed the pot and a teacup on a tray before using his powers to skip climbing two flights of stairs.

He knocked lightly on the door before a soft voice told him to enter. As he touched the doorknob, he felt himself sway a bit before regaining composure. He shook his head from side to side, thinking that he was only tired, before entering the room. He slowly walked the small distance between the door and her bedside table.

He placed the tray on the table before he poured the still warm tea into the cup. He carefully handed the cup to the currently bedridden girl. "Thank you, Young Master." He heard her mutter, but it did not register in his mind as the scent of English tea wafted to his nose. The sickly sweet taste of honey returned to his mouth. His head throbbed in pain.

"-Young Master?" Sachiko's words were barely heard by him as he started to sway. The taste of honey was overwhelming, and the scent of tea brought back memories. He rested his hand on the bedside table to keep himself upright, but he felt his strength diminish as the taste and scent grew more intense.

_"**Let us make some tea, Ray.**"_

He fainted.

* * *

**A/N:** I hope I didn't make it too confusing, with the memories I mean. Even I was confused when I thought of it. (insert-nervous-laugh-here)

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	17. There will always be problems

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Artic-Fox 14. :D

This might be the longest chapter I've typed so far.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.**  
**

We've come along a long way so here it goes, the seventeenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 17: There will always be problems.**

He was falling.

His eyes were closed, but his face was scrunched up in pain. It wasn't until he hit the floor did a scream ringed in the room. In a few seconds, four teenagers stormed into Sachiko's room. In an instant, they noticed the fallen body on the floor, writhing in pain. Kirihara and Kintarou approached the unconscious male while Izumi and Fuji went to the frozen bedridden female who was nervously holding the cup of tea the amber-eyed male had given her before he fainted.

"What happened, Sachiko-san?" Izumi asked in a soft voice full of worry. "I do not know myself, Hanabi-san. He suddenly fainted after he gave me this cup of tea." Sachiko nervously replied. It was a weird sight, seeing the usually calm female looking distraught, but it wasn't any normal situation.

"He's not hurt physically, but he looks like he's having a nightmare." Kirihara told them. Izumi and Fuji approached the coach were the two younger teens had lied Ryoma down. His face was still scrunched up in pain, and he kept clawing at himself, on the place above his heart.

"**No, please don't.**" He mumbled in English, his feet kicking at the air. He mumbled words that the other teens could not pick-up, but they could do nothing to help him. When Izumi tried to touch him, her hand was suddenly slapped away. After a few silent moments, he grew silent and stopped moving. They thought he had finally calmed down.

They were wrong.

His hand shot out and grabbed a nearby pillow. They wondered what he planned to do with it until he threw it right at the door a few feet from the couch he was lying on. "**Stay away!**" He mumbled in fear, but he was still asleep. Izumi fought back tears as her proclaimed brother began scratching at the area above his heart once again.

"**Mother!**"

A single tear had escaped from his eye before he suddenly sat up, awake to the world. Due to the sudden movement, he felt faint and slowly fell back to the small pillow his head had rested on earlier. It took a few moments before he registered where he was and who was surrounding him.

"Otouto!" He was suddenly enveloped in a loose hug by his self-proclaimed sister. "What happened, nee-san?" He muttered. "You fainted after giving Sachiko-san her tea. Tooyama-san and Kirihara-kun carried you to a couch but then you started talking in English in your sleep." Izumi replied.

"What do you remember before fainting, Echizen?" Fuji asked as he helped the amber-eyed freshman sit up. "The last thing I remembered was English tea and honey." He sluggishly replied. The four clueless teens looked at Sachiko who had a shocked look on her face. "That's how I like my English tea, with honey." She informed them, but did not get why it was so important.

"That was her favorite tea. She always drank it in the afternoons, mostly when it rained." Ryoma suddenly muttered. When they looked at him, he was staring at the window. That was when they noticed it was raining outside. "I asked her why she liked something so sweet. Her reply was simple. She liked it sweet." He continued.

They wondered who he was talking about. Who was that mystery woman? That was the thought running in their minds. "Then, she would walk towards the door and tell me, 'Let us make some tea,' with that smile on her face." A longing look was on Ryoma's face as he decided to remove the name.

"Ryoma."

He was snapped out of his trance when he heard Izumi's voice. He looked back at the teens around him to see that they were all worried about him. "You should get some sleep, Koshimae." Kintarou suddenly said in a worried voice, when he noticed the other older teens didn't say another word.

The younger freshman nodded as he tried to stand up, only to slump at the floor with a loud wince. Fuji and Kirihara helped him up, only for them to notice the bloody bandages on his knees. When he was sat down on the couch again, Izumi fretted over him, treating his re-opened wounds.

"I'll tell the coaches that you'll be excused for tomorrow." Fuji said. "No." Ryoma told him. "But Koshimae-" Kintarou was cut off by Ryoma. "No." A glare was on his face, daring them to make him change his decision. The others only sighed at his stubbornness. They slowly nodded, not the least bit happy with his decision. He was escorted back to his room with the help of Kirihara and Fuji, while Izumi and Kintarou went back to where they were before.

That night, Ryoma had a fitful sleep.

The next day, he was woken up by Karupin. How he was there, he did not question it as he was barely awake. He sluggishly did his morning routine before heading towards the kitchen. He thought of using his powers, but felt too lazy to do it, even if the pain in his knees were killing him. After a few slow minutes, he finally reached the kitchen. He wasn't surprised when he saw Sachiko already preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Young Master." She quietly greeted, not once turning her head towards the still sleepy male. She was keeping a close eye on the breakfast. The male took a few deep breaths. He muttered a few soft directions to the pink-haired female who only nodded and followed his orders. He was more skilled at cooking than she was. That much she knew from experience.

He headed straight to the coffee machine in a slow manner and got himself a cup of black coffee. He calmly walked out of the kitchen to leave the mansion. "Call me when it's time for breakfast." With that, he went outside with the cup of coffee in a barely awake daze. The female stifled a chuckle at her master. 'He is still the same.' She noted before bringing her attention back to the food.

After a couple of minutes, the food was done and she had it prepared in record time. She went outside to find her master, which she found sitting near the border of the forest, seemingly looking at the flowers around. She did not fail to notice the bloody bandages on his knees, but decided to ignore it for the moment. She could take care of it later. "Breakfast is ready, Young Master. I have yet to call the others." She informed him. He simply gave her a nod before walking back inside behind her.

"I'll call them instead. Prepare the drinks for them." He ordered, which she nodded in reply. While she busied herself with the drinks, Ryoma used his powers to instantly appear in the third floor, not wanting to waste anymore time. Using his power to increase his speed, he knocked on all eleven doors of the bedroom where his guests were staying in.

"Breakfast is ready." He said to the occupants of every room. His pace was much slower than usual when he did this, not wanting to scare them so early in the morning by suddenly collapsing in front of them. He felt his stomach rumble. 'Can they get any slower?' He complained in his mind but kept his aloof façade outside.

He had been acting unlike himself for the past few days. He didn't mind if it was with Kirihara or Sachiko, they were a different story. He also wouldn't mind if it was with Izumi or Fuji either, but the others were bad news. He didn't want to ruin the anti-social reputation he tried so hard to build.

After informing all of his guests, he proceeded to the dining room, not wanting to stay there any longer and let them notice the slightly pink bandages that used to be white. In a few minutes, everyone was in the dining room and eating. There were five long tables in the dining room, which were already prepared yesterday in the afternoon. They were all divided in groups.

The first table nearest to the kitchen consisted of mostly the more controlled group: Ryoma, Sachiko, Izumi, Kajimoto, Shiraishi, Yukimura, Sanada, Atobe, Tezuka and, shockingly, Kirihara. The second table consisted of the silent group: Reiji, Yuuta, Saeki, Yagyuu, Hiyoshi, Kabaji, Jirou, Shishido and Kaidoh.

The third group consisted of mostly the observers: Chitose, Youhei, Kouhei, Mizuki, Ibu, Yanagi, Oshitari, Inui and Fuji. The fourth group consisted of the pacifiers: Jackal, Tachibana, Choutarou, Taka, Oishi and the four coaches. The last group consisted of the troublemakers: Sengoku, Wakato, Kintarou, Kamio, Niou, Marui, Gakuto, Eiji and Momo.

The first three tables did their best to ignore the noise made by the fifth table. The fourth table continuously tried to stop the fifth table's bickering and noise-making, but to no avail. That didn't last long though. Izumi felt herself starting to get annoyed from the noise. When she looked at the female beside her, she noticed the grimace she was trying to hide. 'Poor Sachiko-san.' She thought.

When she glanced at the other third years in the table, one-half (Kajimoto, Shiraishi and Yukimura) had placid expressions while the other half (Tezuka, Atobe and Sanada) had irritation growing evident in their faces. She looked at the lone junior who was ignorant to the noise and simply enjoyed eating the hearty breakfast Sachiko had prepared.

Lastly, she looked at her proclaimed brother. Needless to say, she grew in fear of what she saw. At first, she actually though he was simply ignoring it like Kirihara, but when she looked at the lines in his face, she knew she was wrong. The unpleased look in his eyes and the dark aura around him were a dead giveaway.

When Ryoma was like that, it often spelled bad news. To double the bad luck, it was still early in the morning. She knew her brother wasn't much of a morning person, even after he had his morning coffee. 'He's so like _Ootori Kyouya_ from _Hatori Bisco-sama's Ouran High School Host Club_, minus the money-making-schemes.' She giddily noted.

The noise from the last table did not get any better but only louder. The people in both the first and second table, as Izumi had noticed, had already begun to notice Ryoma's dark aura. Not like it wasn't obvious, she had thought. 'You really would think he's an AB not an O type.' She thought in albeit nervous way, distracting herself from the noise.

'That is it!'

Ryoma sluggishly stood up and silently glared at the people in the last table. Feeling something akin to killing intent pricking their necks, the oblivious teens turned their heads towards the direction where they felt the source was, only to come in contact with the darkest glare they have ever seen in the usually aloof freshman.

They also felt the killing intent rolling off him like steam. This caused the males to shut their mouths and shiver unconsciously in fear for their lives. "Never make noise in the morning." He warned them before he strode off to the living room with a cup of hot black coffee in hand, limping all the way, not that many of them noticed.

When he was gone, nearly all the teens and adults in the room released the sigh they didn't know they were keeping. "I apologize for Young Master's actions. I forgot to include in your pamphlets that Young Master is not a morning person." Sachiko told them in an honest tone. Everyone else didn't know what to say, but nearly laughing at what the female just said, which was both funny and weird.

"Sachiko-san, I have a question about Ryoma-kun." Izumi suddenly said, attracting everyone's attention. The pink-haired female looked at the red-head. "What is his blood type? From former records, it was said he was an O type, but as of late, I have been suspicious if that is the actual case. He has such a low blood pressure in mornings." Izumi asked.

"To ease your thoughts about this matter, Young Master is an O type. He is simply just not a morning person. I'm ashamed to admit, but I had actually doubted it before." Sachiko replied in a shy voice with a nervous chuckle. Everyone else just laughed in return, well only some of them.

They finished breakfast and the rest of the people under Fox group helped in cleaning up. Soon, they were all summoned outside. Still divided by groups, Dog, Cat and Wolf groups were assigned to the courts first, having two courts per group. They had ball catching with their bare hands with Hanamura and Ryuzaki. Fox and Spider group were assigned to the pool, where had to do numerous laps back and forth under the guidance of Osamu and Sasaki.

Ryoma had joined them later than everyone else. "Where were you, Ryoma?" Ryuzaki asked him when he walked out of the mansion. "Okaa-san called." He simply replied before he headed towards the shower room to change into his swim suit and double-check his bandages then join his group mates in training.

Their first day of training went well for most of them. They were tired, and the Fox group was allowed to be relieved of kitchen duty at lunch time, just to give them a break. Ryoma, though, still helped Sachiko make lunch with Izumi even with his injuries. After training, Sachiko and Izumi gave them all some snacks. All of them chatted lightly about the training with Ryoma's comment making everyone laugh in agreement.

"Luckily, Inui-sempai did not bring out his juice."

* * *

**A/N:** Once again, I made an automatic disclaimer there on Ouran High School Host Club. As for the blood type thing, it's a little thing I picked up on the OHSHC and Lucky Star. (Also not mine.)

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	18. Let us keep the past in the past

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Artic-Fox 14.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Just a short chapter for today.**  
**

Here it is, the eighteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 18: Let us keep the past in the past.**

"Nee-san?" Izumi looked up from where she was cleaning to look at her proclaimed brother who was cleaning a few feet away from her. "Yes, otouto?" She asked. "Are you really okay with this?" He asked, still not looking up from where he was. "Okay with what?" She asked, not understanding what he meant.

"Our situation. You are a Fighter and I am a Creature. Though in the beginning our kinds have been together, the more recent past has made us enemies." He replied. "You don't need to worry about that, otouto. We became friends long before we even know about the truth about each other." She told him as she returned to her cleaning.

"Why?" She noted the sadness in his voice. It was like he was looking for something. She sighed as she left her work and went to Ryoma. She hugged him from behind, like the other times when he felt lonely or depressed. She felt him stiffen for a few seconds before relaxing in her embrace.

"Otouto, the past troubles of our kind is in the past. It does not mean we can't be different as the present generation. Let our ancestors battle it out in the afterlife and keep it there. It's going to be like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, minus the adolescent romance." She grinned at him from behind.

"That ended in both their suicides, nee-san." Ryoma deadpanned. "Let's not include that as well… That's not my point!" She gave him a like punch on the head.

"My point is that, we must not let the past bind us. I'm sure both of our kinds had done something horrible to each other in earlier generations, and I know we both know the unforgivable things our kind had done to each other, but should we really engrave it in our hearts? Should we really engrave the stereotype of the other given by our ancestors in our hearts?" She asked as she pulled away.

As she was about to go back to her work, she felt a hand grab her wrist. She faced Ryoma to see silent tears running down his face. "Why are you crying, otouto?" She whispered as she wiped away his tears. "It's nothing, nee-san." He told her, but the tears still wouldn't stop.

"So, why did you ask me that, otouto? It's very unlike you to get all emotional with me like this." She said in a worried voice. "I was scared." He mumbled under his breath, but in the small distance between them, Izumi had heard it. Her heart almost broke when she did.

"I didn't want to lose you, nee-san. I was scared that you hated me for lying to you, for keeping this a secret from you, for being a Creature." Ryoma admitted. The tears had already stopped, but the pain in his heart didn't. He didn't want to look at her, scared at what he might see.

"Idiot." He felt a fist hit him lightly on the side of his head. He tilted his head up to see Izumi smiling at him with tears in her eyes. "If I really hated you, I'll be treating you worse than Yukimura-kun, and I'm sure you know that." She ran her hand softly through his hair. It made him feel assurance that she wasn't lying.

"I said it back then, and I'll say it again now, otouto." Izumi wiped away her tears, but kept the smile on her face. "Let us leave the ghosts of the past behind. There is a reason why they aren't here in the future." The silly grin on her face comforted him. It promised him that whatever happened… "I'll always be here for you." She added in a whisper.

Ryoma nodded then hugged the older female. She really was like an older sister to him. She reminded him so much of one of him step-sisters, Mary. The spunky red-head step-sister of his always knew how to cheer him up, even if he was so deep in the dumps. "Thank you, nee-san." He whispered to Izumi, but inside, he felt like he was wishing his words would reach his step-sister as well.

"Well, enough of this emotional stuff. Let's go back to work!" She said as she pulled away before bouncing off back to her work. He felt a small smile creep up to his face. 'Same old nee-san.' With that thought, he went back to work. Just in time too, as the rest of his group mates came in the room to help.

From where he was, he watched all his group mates fool around a bit as they tried to help Izumi with her work, which was putting the large amount of groceries away. The key word was _tried_. He let out a soft chuckle as Izumi scolded Kirihara, Saeki and Kajimoto for letting Fuji buy so much wasabi.

'I wish you can watch this with me, Mary, Lillian.'

* * *

**A/N:** I was feeling depressed when I typed this, which I based from personal experience. *frowns*

I do not own _Romeo and Juliet_! I don't even look like Shakespeare!

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	19. Actions are not enough

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Artic-Fox 14.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.**  
**

Here it is, the nineteenth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 19: Sometimes, actions are not enough.**

After dinner, everyone, like always, were given a time to relax. Sachiko and Kirihara, though, thought differently when Ryoma had asked to meet them at the music room. When they entered the said room for the first time, they were amazed at the majestic room.

The walls were striped with the alteration of two colors: a simple sky blue and a refined royal blue. The ceiling was painted with a pale shade of blue-gray. The floor was fully covered with a dull red carpet, muffling all footsteps inside the room. The windows were covered by dark red curtains. The minimal furniture in the room was made with wood that was light brown and very smooth to touch.

At the right side of the door was a small array of different kinds of string instruments: a guitar, a cello, a violin, a harp and the like. On the left side was a group of percussion instruments: drums, a tambourine, cymbals and the like. One the wall across the door was a group of wind instruments: an oboe, a flute, a harmonica, a saxophone and etcetera. Lastly, in the middle of the room under an intricately designed chandelier was a dark cherry grand piano.

"Are all of these yours, Young Master?" Sachiko asked in awe as she looked around the room. "Yes, they are. Most are gifts from my mother's side of the family, but some are from real father's side. Both of them highly encouraged me to take up some interest in music." Ryoma answered as he approached them. "Were the ones you kept in our world transferred here as well?" She asked. "Yes. This mansion has more space to keep my instruments." He replied.

"You have more instruments than a store, Ryoma. They are also all in good condition." Kirihara commented as he checked the clarinet. "Thank you, Akaya." Ryoma simply replied, not knowing what to say at the obvious compliment he received. The two teens circled the room for a few minutes while Ryoma relaxed in a cushioned seat next to the window.

"Where did you get this grand piano, Ryoma?" Kirihara asked after a few minutes of silence. Ryoma stood up and went to the piano in the middle of the room. He sat before it and slid his hand against the dark cherry satin lustre finish. He lifted up the cover of the keys.

"This _Steinway & Sons_ piano was a gift from my real father on my sixth birthday. I was eyeing it a lot every time we passed the store. He had it personalized a bit just for me." The black-green-haired teen ran his hands softly over the keys as a sad smile appeared in his face.

"Aren't those the pianos that take almost a year to make?" Kirihara asked when he recognized the company name. "Hai. The original buyer of the piano passed away before he could make the official purchase, the store owner told me one time I asked why such a piano was at his store." Ryoma replied thoughtlessly, seeming to still be caught in a trance.

He closed his eyes as he pressed a few notes, feeling the sound produced by his first instrument, his baby grand piano. "**London Bridge is falling down, falling down, falling down."** He sang slowly in time with the keys. He felt a familiar presence come upon him as he played his favorite nursery rhyme.

As he played on, he felt as if he was being transported to his past, where he and his father would walk on the streets of his real hometown in his current world, passing by his favorite store – the place where he first saw his grand piano. The memory of passing by and greeting many people was bringing back a sense of familiarity.

Soon enough, the song ended and he was brought back to the present. He placed the cover back to its rightful place. When he heard a shuffle of feet from his side, he turned towards the source of the sudden noise to see Sachiko and Kirihara staring at him. "What is it?" Irritation was evident in his voice, something not out of the norm.

"Just a moment ago, you looked just like the Ray kid from the memory." Kirihara told him. "Well, I do look like him." Ryoma replied. Silence once again reigned between the three teens. "Young Master?" Golden amber eyes look straight at bright red ones. "Yes?" A sigh escaped pale pink lips.

"Even if I am Creature, I can't read minds, Sachiko." Bright red eyes drew to a close for a few seconds before reopening with new found courage. "I do not want to be rude in saying this, Young Master, but I have a suspicion." Golden amber eyes do not waver, followed by a short nod.

"You are Ray Hanabusa, Young Master."

A shocked gasp comes from the older male in the room. Golden amber eyes still do not waver. "What is your basis on this, Sachiko?" His voice was not forceful or demanding, simply inquiring and curious. "While you were telling the story earlier, your voice was too much like Ray's when you two sang. His outer appearance is unimportant as the other members of the Hanabusa family look like your friends, Young Master." Her voice was simply stating without a stutter or too long a pause.

"While you were singing just now, I first thought that the young boy, Ray Hanabusa, was actually here, until I discovered it was only you, Young Master. Most of all, you were the only one other than I who was not transported into the memory. Kirihara-san told me that they only heard your voice, but your body was not there." Her voice held no hint of worry or fear, even curiosity and assurance. Her voice was as blank as her facial expression.

Forest green eyes, full of curiosity, looked at blank golden amber ones which stared in return. The staring contest continued until golden amber eyes drew to a close, and a small sigh escaped pale pink lips. Forest green eyes widened in return while bright red ones stared at the floor.

"Yes, I am Ray Hanabusa." His voice came out soft and whispery, much unlike his usual. Thin calloused fingers tighten around the soft cloth of his pants. "How is that possible?" Golden amber eyes open slowly before looking straight at forest green ones. "As you know, Oyaji is not my biological father. My actual father is the head of the previous family, Akito Hanabusa." A small frown danced on his lips.

"So what is your actual name, Young Master? Is it Ryoma Echizen or Ray Hanabusa?" Sachiko's voice was soft, unsure. It was as if she was questioning what she knew. Ryoma was silent for a few minutes. "My name is," he took a deep breath, "Ryoma Hanabusa."

Sachiko and Kirihara had questioning looks in their faces. "As of now, Ryoma Hanabusa is a person of the past. I am now Ryoma Echizen, biological son of Rinko Takeuchi and step-son of Nanjirou Echizen. Make no mistake." The seriousness of his voice reminded Sachiko of the young boy who found and saved her in their world years ago on one of his rare visits there. He was already Ryoma Echizen when he found her.

"Why are your parents separated, Young Master? What forced you to leave your previous life?" She asked. "My parents never told me for I was too young when they separated. As for my transferring of custody, it was my punishment for what happened to my step-mother." He monotonously replied.

"What happened to you, Ryoma?"

* * *

**A/N:** I do not own _Steinway & Sons_! They do make cool pianos though. hehehehe...

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	20. This is a walk down memory lane

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to KiTtEn18sMiLe and Artic-Fox 14.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination.**  
**

Here it is, the twentieth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 20: This is a walk down memory lane.**

"Ryoma, please come inside!" The little boy let go of the ball he was holding and headed straight inside to his house. "Yes, Mama?" He asked a young woman with long brown hair and kind auburn eyes. The woman smiled as she carried him to the living room where his father was waiting for them.

"Papa and Mama are going to the other world." She said before she set him down on the floor. Ray turned towards the young man with dark brown hair and dark yellow eyes. "Papa!" The little boy ran towards his father. The father returned the hug he had received.

"I will come too?" He pleaded to his father before pouting. "Yes, you can, but Mama and Papa cannot be together anymore." He said in a sad tone. "Why, Papa?" He asked in the verge of crying. "You will understand when you are older, Ryoma." His father replied, trying to console the child in his arms.

"Why do we need to go to that world, Papa?" He asked as he laid his head on his father's chest. "Papa and Mama need to settle some things and we need to stay there at the mean time." The older male replied as he ran his hands through his son's short black hair.

"Honey, when we go there, you would stay with your father, okay?" He heard his mother ask. He wanted to decline at first when he saw the sad look in her eyes, but decided to just agree with what his mother had said. He didn't want to upset her more than she already was.

"Yes, Mama."

* * *

"Ryoma, this is Julian Thompson. She is going to be your new mother." His father told him as he introduced him to the red-haired woman. "New mother…?" He asked as tears started to well up in his eyes. "Julian, please excuse us for a moment." His father said as he was picked up from the ground then carried to the kitchen.

"Does Mama know you are marrying Ms. Julian?" He asked. "Yes, she does. She is also planning on marrying a man she met in America as well, Ryoma. Ms. Julian would be another mother to you." His father told him. He nodded slowly, quite unsure what that meant. His father carried him once more then went back to the living room.

"Is something wrong with Ryoma, dear?" Julian asked. "He just misses his mother." His father answered truthfully. "Oh, you poor thing. I understand how you feel, being away from your mother at an early age. For me though, she passed away when she gave birth to me." She replied with a depressed look on her previously bright face.

"She never left you. She is still in here." Ryoma told her as he pointed at the place where her heart is. "Oh, Ryoma." Julian simply said before she hugged the little boy tight. Her dull red hair covered her sky blue eyes.

"Thank you."

* * *

"Akito, Ryoma, these are my daughters from my previous husband." Julian said as her daughters walked forward. They were both red-heads like their mother, but both of a different shade. "Hi, I'm Mary!" The chipper red-orange-haired one said. She was the older one. "H-hi, I'm Lillian." The pinkish-red-haired one mumbled. She was the younger one.

"You are my new sisters?" Ray asked in a soft voice. "Yes, we are! Don't worry, we won't hurt you." Mary told him. Lillian rubbed the top of his head affectionately. "Hey!" He shouted when Lillian did that. "From now on, we'll call you Ray!" Mary exclaimed. "Why? That is not my name." Ryoma said with a frown.

"Your name is too complicated." Mary answered with a deadpan look on her face, making Ryoma pout. The younger female simply chuckled at his reaction. Mary, on the other hand, had a huge grin on her face.

"It's nice to meet you too, _Ray_."

* * *

"Ryoma, Mama is here." He ran towards his real mother in an instant. "Mama!" He cried. "Papa told me you did something bad to your new mother." She told him. "Mother was doing something bad! Papa didn't know, so I punished her instead." He told his mother. "That is not the way we should punish others, Ryoma. Your new mother is dead now. She would never return." She gently chastised the boy in her arms.

"I'm sorry, Mama." Tears ran down his face. He tried to wipe them away but they wouldn't stop falling. "I'll come back for you after the funeral, okay? Mama needs to go back." She told him. "Yes, Mama." He said as he gave one last hug to his mother. After his mother left, he and his father went to his surrogate mother's funeral. He ran his hand over his scar.

"I'm sorry, Mother."

* * *

"Ryoma, my name in this world is not Rinko Hanabusa anymore, but Rinko Takeuchi. Your name now would be Ryoma Takeuchi. We are now staying with my father who decided to stay in this world." His mother told him. "Yes, Mama." He answered even if he did not know the reason why they changed their surnames.

"The man I'm going to introduce to you can speak both Japanese and English, okay?" His mother said. "**Hai, okaa-san.**" He replied with a big smile on his face that had no scar, the only living link to his past as Ryoma Hanabusa. His mother returned the smile.

A few minutes later, a tall man with long brown hair entered the living room behind his mother after she opened the door. "Ryoma, this is Nanjirou Echizen." His mother told him. "**Oyaji.**" He mumbled under his breath. "Ryoma!" His mother was about to scold him but Nanjirou began to laugh. "**Chibi.**" Nanjirou retorted. Ryoma glared at the man before him.

"I like your eyes, kid. Do you play tennis?"

* * *

"Ryoma, this is your older brother. His name is Ryoga. He stayed with your grandfather when he was still young." His mother told him one day. "Why was he with Grandfather?" He asked. "He was a sickly child, but now he is all better. That is why he is staying with us now." His mother said with a smile before she left them by themselves.

Ryoga had black hair like he did, but it was tinted blue. His eyes were like his as well, only more close to orange than brown like his. "So, you're Ryoma." Ryoga said. "Yeah." He replied before walking away from his almost-look alike. "**Hey! That's no way to treat your aniki!**" Ryoga shouted at him.

Ryoma simply ignored him, but suddenly, his favorite hat was stolen from him. He turned around to see Ryoga wearing it. "**Hey, give that back!**" Ryoma shouted as he jumped, trying to get his hat back, but Ryoga was taller than him. He grew frustrated.

"**Aniki**!"

* * *

"That is a lot of memories, Young Master." Sachiko said after Ryoma showed them some of his memories. "Yeah, you even showed us about Ryoga-san." Kirihara added. "Do you have any more questions about me?" Ryoma simply asked. "No, Young Master." "Nope." Ryoma nodded in recognition before standing up. "It's late. Let's get some sleep." With that, they all left the music room and into their respective rooms in the third floor.

Kirihara cautiously entered his room, not wanting to wake up his roommates – Marui, Niou and Jackal. As he laid down on his part of the bed, his thoughts wandered to what Ryoma showed them. 'I never knew you were so fucked-up, Ryoma.' With that, he fell asleep with a grin on his face.

Meanwhile, Sachiko was sitting on her bed, staring at the window of her room. 'Young Master Ryoma, I never knew you had such a complicated life. I will always do my best to serve you to the fullest from now on!' With that in mind, she was able to fall asleep with no worried for the whole night.

Ryoma, on the other hand, had easily fallen asleep when he reached his room. He didn't have the energy to change into his pajamas and simply crawled into bed. His loving pet, Karupin, eyed him for a few seconds before lying down next to him. He gave his owner, master as he calls it, one more glance before falling asleep.

'Good night, master.'

* * *

**A/N:** In the memories, all of them are speaking in English and the words in boldface are spoken in Japanese. They are speaking in Japanese again in the last scene.

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	21. Getting physical solves nothing

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to soul vrazy. :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. There is shounen-ai in this chapter, but just light.**  
**

Here it is, the twenty-first chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 21: Getting physical solves nothing.**

The next few days of training were rough on the tennis players. After breakfast, they were to run many laps around the mansion, which was fairly huge and wide. After lunch, they were stationed to the gym or entertainment room. In the afternoon, they were taking turns in using the courts for catching balls with their bare hands, and the pool for numerous time-pressured laps. After the allotted time for training, they had lessons with the coaches, as to not let them ignore their schoolwork.

All the while, many of the teens noticed the significant change in attitude the black-green-haired freshman had undergone, even the ones that were not close to him. Needless to say, it brought worry to those who cared deeply for him. One time, during one of their rare breaks, he had become the topic of his friends when he was off doing something else once again.

"Now that you've mentioned his weird behavior, he rarely says 'Mada mada dane' anymore." Taka pointed out, slight worry heard in his voice. "Doesn't he say it a lot during training?" Kajimoto asked. He had noticed it, being his group mate and all. "Yes, that is true, but outside practice, he's hardly ever said it." Fuji explained.

"The last time he said it was before I asked him for any weird tales or rumors about this mansion." Inui told them. A series of nods followed afterwards in confirmation. "He doesn't spend time with any of us anymore and disappears most of the time." Momo commented. "He doesn't let me hug him anymore!" Eiji cried. 'That's because you hug him too tight.' Most of his teammates had thought, but said nothing more.

"He spends most of his time in the music room or in the library. He sleeps way late into the night and rises before any of us. He always wants to be alone, and acts like he's sulking when not training."

The teens in the meeting room (where they decided to hang) turned their heads towards the door to see Kirihara standing by the door. They hadn't noticed that he wasn't among them when they had started talking, so it was a shock for most of them that he was suddenly came in the room.

"How did you know that, Akaya?" Yukimura asked. He knew that his teammate was close to the freshman they were talking about, but some others in the room didn't, and he wasn't planning on letting them know about it as well. It wasn't a well-kept secret though. That much he knew. The amber-eyed freshman had been hanging out with the green-eyed junior more than they had expected.

"I've been with him on more than half occasions to know that much, 'Mura-buchuo. I really don't understand how he could sleep so late but still wake up so early." He said as he slumped into a nearby seat. "You two have been spending a lot of time with each other lately. What's with that?" Momo asked. Last time he knew, he was the best friend of Echizen Ryoma, not this green-eyed Rikkai Dai regular!

"We have a lot in common, I'll say. We don't pig out like you do though." Kirihara wrinkled his nose to emphasize his disgust. Momo grew angry at what he had heard. "I don't 'pig out'!" Momo shouted in anger. He knew better than to go physical at the moment. There were a lot of teens between him and the target of his anger.

"Well, then you inhale all the food like the glutton you are." Kirihara retorted calmly. 'I'm spending way too much time with Ryoma if I'm like this.' The green-eyed male instantly thought as he registered what he had just said. He concealed a small shudder at the thought that he was acting like the amber-eyed cat-like freshman of Seigaku. 'I love him and all, but acting like him is **way too much**.'

Seeing the green-eyed Rikkai Dai regular space off on him like that, Momo grew angrier. 'That guy is going to get it!' Momo thought as he stood up from his seat and briskly walked to the lost-in-thought teen, crossing the distance between them in a matter of seconds. Immediately, he threw a punch at the green-eyed junior, making him fall off his seat. "Momo!" His sempais had shouted.

Kirihara held back the wince that threatened to leave his lips as he tried to stand up. He glared intently at the violet-eyed junior and was only rewarded with another hard punch from Momo. The second punch had him sliding across the floor, face first due to the momentum of his body.

"Momo, stop it!" Oishi shouted as Taka tried to hold back their violet-eyed teammate with Kaidoh's help. "Oishi's right, nya! Why did you do that to Kirihara, nya?" Eiji asked. "Momo, explain now." Tezuka ordered. Momo simply scowled at his teammates and easily pushed away Taka and Kaidoh.

"Kabaji." Atobe said. "Usu." With that, Kabaji walked towards Momo and lifted the violet-eyed teen from the floor before the hot-tempered junior could do more damage. "Let go of me!" Momo kept shouting as he flailed his arms and legs around in annoyance and anger. In a few seconds, he felt himself get hit with water, forcing himself to close his eyes and stop moving.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Kamio and Sengoku with small wet buckets. "What the-" He was cut off by the hard slap on the face from Sanada. This had shocked all of the teens in the room, even the ones from Rikkai Dai. "There was no reason for you to raise your hand to our teammate, even if he had provoked you." He scolded before going to Kirihara and slapped him as well. "You went out of line with what you have said."

"Fukubuchuo." Kirihara had only mumbled under his breath as he stared at the ground. Slowly, he stood up from the floor and limped to the shocked teen. He bowed in front of Momo. "I apologize for my rude remarks, Momoshiro." He said monotonously, but the teens around him felt the sincerity in his words.

When Kabaji deemed that Momo had cooled down enough, he laid the teen on his feet. Momo, regaining his senses, backed off and bowed as well. "I'm sorry for punching you twice." He said, his voice sounded sad and upset. The two teens stood up straight and stared at the ground before them.

The rest of the teens released a sigh of relief, knowing that the two juniors had stopped fighting, but they were really clueless on how the fight had gotten out of hand. They had only talked about the Seigaku freshman's weird attitude the past few days, and at the moment, it had come down to the bickering of the two juniors. Before any of them could think further, the sound of clapping brought them out of their thoughts.

"Bravo, Akaya-sempai, Momo-sempai."

"Echizen/Echizen-kun/Ochibi!" Everyone but the two said teens shouted in recognition. "How long have you been there, Echizen?" Tachibana asked. "I've been here since Momo-sempai punched Akaya-sempai." Ryoma bluntly replied. "Why didn't you stop them?" Yuuta asked. "As troublesome as it may sound, I couldn't do anything." He replied with a yawn as he approached the two black-haired juniors.

"Echizen." The said boy looked at his violet-eyed teammate. Before Momo could say another word, a fist went straight to his cheek, making him stumble to the floor. "Momo!" "What the-!" "Echizen!" Shouts came from the other teens and some went straight to Momo to help, but all of them froze when they sensed a dark aura envelope the black-haired freshman.

"Echizen!" The said turned boy turned around, letting the other teens see the dark look in the teen's eyes. The usual golden amber had turned into a darker shade and his eyes looked edgier than they had ever seen. His bangs did nothing to help as it shadowed the top of his eyes, making it look more sinister.

"What?" His voice was venomous and had a certain edge to it. It drew fear from some of the easier-to-scare sempais. "Why did you punch Momo?" Oishi asked as his fear and worry mixed into his voice. He turned his head back to its former position, his back facing his other sempais.

"He was foolish."

Even if he had said that, he held his hand in front of the fallen teen, his dark aura slowly dissipating. Momo hesitantly took the helping hand and was hoisted up by the smaller teen. "Gomen, Echizen." Momo didn't know why but he had the urge to apologize to the younger teen as well after he let go off his hand. "Just control your emotions better." Ryoma whispered so that only the violet-eyed teen could hear.

Afterwards, Ryoma faced Kirihara. He ran his hand through the black curly locks downwards until he reached the older teen's nape. Before anyone could react, he pinched the back of his sempai's neck. Kirihara let out a loud wince as his hand instantly reached for the back of his neck.

"That's for provoking Momo-sempai." The younger teen simply said. The others wondered what had hurt more. Was it the younger boy's punch that forced Momo to fall to the ground, or was it his pinch at that not only made Kirihara wince loudly but draw tears that still wouldn't stop falling? The others didn't know.

"I never thought that you'll be acting like me so much though. I'm kind of touched by your actions." Ryoma had said that after he turned around, letting his sempais see the devious smirk on his face. They didn't fail to notice the deep blush that appeared on Kirihara's face, not that the junior was hiding it in the first place.

As Ryoma's remark registered into the minds of the older teens, they had to stifle their laughs. Looking back to what happened; Kirihara had acted like the freshman prodigy, much to the junior's chagrin. "Your just in a good mood because-" The green-eyed junior wasn't able to finish what he was about to say because Ryoma had turned around and shut him up with his lips. "Shut up, Akaya." He whispered.

Afterwards, he walked away with an emotionless look on his face and headed towards the door. The other teens gave way as he passed-by, parting much like the red sea for Moses. Before he left though, he flashed a smug smirk at his sempais and gave them his parting words.

"Mada mada dane, sempai-tachi."

* * *

**A/N:** Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	22. This is beyond normal expectations

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to Artic-Fox. Thank you for helping me with some story issues. There will be three chapters for today. This is my gift to you, Fox-chan! :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. There is shounen-ai in this chapter, but just light.**  
**

Here it is, the twenty-second chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 22: This is beyond normal expectations.**

"Everyone, Young Master would not be able to join you for dinner tonight. He is not feeling well, and would not be accepting visitors for the rest of the night. Please do not make too much noise around the hallways. He needs his rest." Sachiko announced when nearly everyone had gathered in the dining room for diner.

"What happened to him, Sachiko-san?" Izumi asked in worry. "I apologize for I have no idea. Young Master had left his quarters in mid-afternoon and returned half an hour later. I do not know what he did in that time frame that would cause his current condition to worsen." Sachiko replied monotonously, but they all deducted that she was simply hiding her worry.

The rest of the tennis players suddenly remembered the events of earlier that afternoon, with Kirihara and Momo's bickering to Ryoma's appearance. They all wondered what was happening to the freshman prodigy. "Koshimae was with us earlier." Kintarou told her, his usual smile gone from his face.

"Is there something you boys are not telling me?" Sachiko asked as she gave them all an inquiring look. Some had avoided her gaze while some had met it straight on. "He only checked up on us, Sachiko-san. No need to worry." Kirihara answered lightly with a smile on his face. He's slight nervousness did not go unnoticed, but they shrugged it off as simply his embarrassment with what happened earlier.

With that, the evening was left uneventful and peaceful, as it could be with four-two teens and four adults in a huge mansion. The next morning, the teens were woken up by either Izumi or Sachiko. It was the same for the coaches. They all headed to the dining room, as the two female teens had ordered.

When they reached the dining room, they were all shocked at the grandeur breakfast on the tables. It was better than their previous meals in the mansion and the feast-like dinner they had when Ryoma's grandparents visited. "Young Master did all of this by himself." Sachiko informed them. "Don't let him know you know that though." Izumi added with a sly wink before she proceeded to her usual table.

Once again, they all placed themselves in their usual tables, but refrained from touching the food. Their breakfast that day felt surreal, as if all of them were dreaming or in heaven. The silence was broken by a yawn from a sleepy black-haired freshman as he entered the dining room.

He noticed the weird silence in the room. There was no soft clanking of plates or the light taps of steel hitting porcelain that he grew accustomed to during mealtimes. He eyed everyone in the room warily. "Why isn't anyone of you eating yet?" He asked; his voice was neither irritated nor unpleased. It was blunt and sleepy.

That was all that it took before the clanking and tapping reached his ears like a familiar melody. He let out a deep sigh as he sat on his chair, his signature hot cup of black coffee in his left hand. "Why do you like drinking black coffee, Echizen-kun?" Shiraishi asked, completely curious. "I always depicted you as someone who would like it a tad bit sweeter." He added.

"I like the bitter taste it leaves, mostly if it's freshly brewed." Ryoma answered before taking a small sip. That's when they noticed his peculiar but formal table manners, not that it was unwanted. It only seemed weird that the youngest among them could act so mature and formal at mealtimes. His practice of table manners even beat those of Atobe's, who was raised in a very high-class family.

Even with his evident sleepiness, his posture was straight and his head held high. His elbows were always by his sides and his hands were always close to his body. His movement is both fluid and graceful. He took food in small quantities and chewed them slowly. He lifted, used and returned table appointments without a sound, even a clank or tap on the table or plate. He even sipped his coffee without a sound. His actions, more or less, were much more of a lady's than a man's, they were sure but would never say out loud.

Izumi, being the imaginative girl she is, had thought that her proclaimed brother was replaced by a queen or princess, at least a high-class lady of sorts. She had to keep in her snickers every time she had such thoughts. She knew Ryoma would be upset if even she thought that he was acting like a lady, not that he couldn't deny it. It was an unconscious attitude of his, she noticed.

'Oh Kami-sama! He's so like _Ciel Phantomhive_ of _Toboso Yana-sama's Kuroshitsuji_!' Izumi inwardly held a delighted squeal as her grip on the spoon and fork she was holding grew tighter, making it bend. "You are going to pay for that, nee-san." She turned her head to look at Ryoma, who didn't even seem fazed at all with what she had just done. "Okay. I'll pay you when we get back to Tokyo." She casually replied.

After breakfast, they were told that they would not have training for that day, as to give some time for the coaches to relax after a day of both teaching and training. The teens were deciding on what to do for the rest of the day when Kintarou asked them a question. "Koshimae, what are those weird flowers around the mansion?"

This caught the attention of the teens. They had noticed it when they first came here, but got distracted by the amenities of the mansion. "There are different colored anemones, yellow tulips, tree marigolds (Nitobe Chrysanthemum), yellow pheasant's eyes and many more. I planted some of them myself." Ryoma answered in a bored tone.

"How can that be, Echizen? Some of those flowers aren't even in season, or can last this long. None of the flowers have either wilted or grew a new batch." Inui said, as he wrote something in his notebook. "I placed a spell of sorts in this place so it can grow any plant I want, regardless of the season, making them last longer." Ryoma replied.

"That doesn't sound like a good idea, otouto. What if someone actually brings this into light?" Izumi asked. "This isn't a place visited by tourists, and has been kept in the dark from any media. That is why I only allow Kijou-san to bring us here." He answered. "If you say so, then it's okay with me, otouto." Izumi said with a shrug.

"Why did you decide to plant these flowers, Echizen-kun?" Choutarou asked. "It is because of what they represent." Ryoma answered. "What they represent?" The question was left unanswered by the black-haired freshman. "Do you guys want to check them out?" Ryoma's voice rang in the meeting room they had stayed in, different than the one they were in the previous day. A chorus of 'yes's were heard and so, they went outside.

After a little convincing from his teammates and Kirihara, Ryoma finally told them about the flowers and how to identify them. He wouldn't tell them of their meanings though, much to their dismay. That was how they spent the rest of their morning, even when Ryoma left them.

When they were called in for lunch, they were once again amazed at the grand feast they were presented with. Their lunch was spent merrily and without trouble. The afternoon was spent with the teens doing something inside the mansion because of the sudden downpour. It was the first rain they had experienced in the mansion.

The teens gathered in a random meeting room once again when the rain grew stronger. They watched the downpour from the large windows of the meeting room. The teens relished the cool, relaxing feeling given by the rain. The previous days were neither too hot nor too cold and the wind only came in light breezes.

It was a good day to relax, and had ended uneventful.

* * *

**A/N:** Automatic disclaimer, everyone! I do not own **Kuroshitsuji**!

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	23. Waiting, hopeful and foolish

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to Artic-Fox. Thank you for helping me with some story issues. This is number two. This is my gift to you, Fox-chan! :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. There is shounen-ai in this chapter, but just light.**  
**

Here it is, the twenty-third chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 23: I had been waiting for your return for too long. I was too hopeful and foolish.**

Sadly, the next day was anything but uneventful. They were woken up by the sound of growling. Rushing towards the source of the sounds, they found themselves watching a very unpleased Ryoma glaring at a man who looked exactly like him, but only older. "What are _you_ doing here?" Ryoma's voice was venomous and angry.

"Why can't I? Am I not allowed to visit my younger brother anymore?" The man asked. His revelation shocked the teens, but they were still ignored. "I do not give a damn even if you were dying on my doorstep. Leave this mansion!" He shouted as the dark aura around him grew more intense.

"That hurt, Ryoma. How can you say that to your older brother?" The man asked with a pout. The teens didn't know if he was completely oblivious to the dark aura or was only ignoring it. "You are not my older brother." Ryoma growled. "My older brother would not have abandoned me, my older brother would have come back for me, and lastly, my older brother loved me." He sneered.

"That's not true, Chibisuke." The pout was gone, along with the ignorance. The man had a deep frown on his face, his similarly yellow-orange eyes showing his guilt. "I never wanted to leave you. I would've taken you with me if I could!" Desperation was heard in his voice, which cracked and stuttered.

The younger male ignored him and faced his guests. "Breakfast is ready. I was about to wake you guys up when this person came. Let's go." With that, he walked off to the dining room, not once glancing at the depressed man he left in his wake. The teens thought off talking to the man, but the image of Ryoma's angry face earlier had stopped them from interacting with the man.

Breakfast was both silent and cold. The room felt a few degrees colder than usual. The coaches had left to pick up some supplies, so no one else had questioned about the man outside, which the Seigaku regulars were familiar with. After the meal, they were sent upstairs by Ryoma, telling them to stay inside a room and don't wander around without his permission. With that, he was off to do his business.

He searched for his unwanted visitor for a few minutes until he found him in the main lobby, staring at the huge portrait of him (Ryoma) and his mother, Rinko. He cleared his throat to catch the attention of the older male, which worked effectively. He gestured his hand to the coach next to him. With a nod, the older male sat there. He took his seat in front of the man.

"What are you doing here, Ryoga?" Ryoma forced his animosity for the older male to be kept at bay, choosing to be civil to get the current issue dealt with as soon as possible. "I just came home a few days ago, only to find out that you and your friends were training, so I came here." Ryoga said.

"What are you doing here?" Ryoma asked once more, his voice sounding more forceful. "I did some stupid things a few years back. I wanted to apologize." Ryoga replied. "So, you come here unannounced, hoping for me to forgive you? I'm not a child anymore! I'm not the same thirteen-year-old you left, Ryoga. I've changed. I grew up." Ryoma told him, his voice betraying his growing anger.

"I know that!" Ryoga shouted, tears welling up in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away as he looked down at his lap. "Of course I know that. I wanted a shot at it, at least. I want to apologize." He muttered; his voice was low and uncertain. Silence reigned for a few minutes between the brothers. Ryoma had shifted his gaze from his brother.

"I always believed, you know." Ryoga's face shot up when he heard his brother speak, only to see the younger male staring at the fireplace, the glow of the fire illuminating his face. "Every night and day, I believed that you would come back, even if it seemed foolish at that time." Ryoga felt his heart clench painfully at his chest.

"But my wait had stretched on for too long without even a sign, or even a letter, so I let it go and moved on."

Ryoga felt his mouth go dry. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His brother, the cocky little brat he grew to love, had been waiting for him all the while for his return. He, who once promised to the younger male in front of him years ago that he would be the one to protect him, was the one who hurt the person he cherished the most. His gaze fell back to his clenched fists on his lap.

"I am so sorry, Ryoma."

Tears fell one after the other, but he made no attempt to wipe them away. He deserved the cold treatment he was receiving. His little brother was worried for him and what did he do when he came back? He hollered at him in the wee hours of morning, declaring his unannounced return.

"Sorry for what?" Ryoma's voice brought him away from his thoughts. "What are you apologizing for?" The anger was gone, he noticed. He took that as his final chance, the last chance to let his brother now how sorry he is and how he regretted leaving again without a word for two-and-a-half years. He just returned to them one-and-a-half years prior to his second disappearance. Unknown to him, he had said it out loud.

"Just one letter would have been fine, you know. Okaa-san-" **'I-'** "was worried about you, even oyaji. They-" **'I-'** "didn't know if you were even well or alive." Ryoma told him, a frown on his face. "They-" **'I-'** "hung on too long at the idea that you would come back. They were-" **'I was-'** "foolish." He faced the crying man.

"I-" Ryoga opened his mouth only to find out that he didn't know what to say. He knew what Ryoma said was true. He remembered his return to the Echizen Residence. Rinko hugged him to bits, letting go only to be subjected into another hug from the worried retired tennis pro. "I'm sorry."

"Is that what you are just going to say?"

Yellow-orange eyes looked straight at golden-amber ones in shock. "Does this mean-" He wasn't able to finish as he was hit on the head by a fist. "Baka. If I actually hated you, I would have gotten rid you earlier." He wiped away his tears in glee and hugged his brother, jumping across the expensive looking coffee table between them.

"If you are really sorry, then make up for it. Don't wallow in despair and act like a child." Ryoma told him as he sat up straight, not pushing Ryoga away but not returning his hug either. Ryoga ignored that but pulled away. He walked around the table then hugged his brother properly.

"I won't leave again like I did years ago. I promise, Chibisuke." He whispered as he tightened his hold. He felt a fist punch him again lightly on the back of his head. "Baka. Don't make promises you can't keep." Ryoga ignored the insult and simply laughed at his brother's reaction, making him loosen his hold.

Ryoma took that as a chance to escape, and that he did. "Baka." He once again said as he kicked his brother from behind. "Why are you so brutal, Ryo-chan?" Ryoga pouted as he rubbed the spot Ryoma kicked. The younger male did not respond but took hold of the older male's wrist.

Ryoga let himself be dragged for a few seconds. In an instant, he was swiftly lifted off his feet as he was thrown outside the mansion, landing on a huge puddle left by the rain. "Why'd you do that for, Ryo-chan?" He asked in a childish voice. "Next time, call before you visit. We don't have enough rooms." Ryoma replied.

"But Chibisuke-" He was cut off by the sudden basket of oranges Ryoma threw at him. "Welcome back, baka aniki." He saw a faint smile on his younger brother's face before the door that separated them was closed. "Mada mada daze, Chibisuke." Ryoga mumbled as he stood up with ease. He walked off to the path he came from, planning to go back to Tokyo with a huge maniacal smile on his face.

* * *

**A/N:** Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	24. On being a sadist

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to Artic-Fox. Thank you for helping me with some story issues. This is number three. This is my gift to you, Fox-chan! :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Implications leading to possible character death.**  
**

Here it is, the twenty-fourth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 24: Being a sadist is a lot of hard work, but a hell lot of fun.**

At lunch, the teens were once again quiet, which caught the attention of the coaches who had just returned. "What happened while we were gone?" Ryuzaki asked Oishi. "Ryoga-san came, sensei. Echizen was shouting at him when we came to check. He was saying something about Ryoga-san not being his brother. We don't know the details, sensei, but when Ryoga-san left, Echizen was in a better mood. When we asked him what happened, he only told us that Ryoga-san only came to handle some unfinished business and is now on his way back to Tokyo." Oishi replied.

"Where were you all the while?" Ryuzaki asked. "Echizen ordered us to stay upstairs. Seeing the sour mood he was in, no one spoke and followed his orders. Even Hanabi-san and Sachiko-san weren't with him." Oishi informed. "I see. It must have been some family matters." Ryuzaki concluded before they resumed eating.

Meanwhile, in the first table, Izumi was paying close attention to her proclaimed brother. "Why are you such in a good mood today, otouto?" She asked. "Aniki came over." Ryoma simply answered. "Ryoga-san? Wait! You're calling him aniki again! Did he finally apologize?" She asked. "H-hai." He sputtered out. He was surprised with her sudden shout.

"What are you talking about, Hanabi-san?" Kajimoto asked. "The man who came earlier was Ryoga-san, otouto's aniki. Otouto stopped calling him 'aniki' a few months ago, because Ryoga-san ran away _again_ after coming home two years ago." Izumi told him. Ryoma let her explain. He did not mind that they knew about Ryoga. They were bound to know sooner or later anyway.

A few seconds ticked by as Izumi thought about something. Suddenly, she had a shocked look on her face as something seemed to register in her mind. "Don't tell me you killed Ryoga-san, otouto!" She suddenly exclaimed in a horrified manner, catching everyone's attention. "No, I did not. Like I said, he was able to leave and go back to Tokyo." Ryoma bluntly answered. She was making such a big deal out of the small matter.

"Push him from the rooftop?"

"No."

"Cut him into pieces?"

"He left in one piece."

"Turn him into a slave?"

"No."

"Use him as a human sacrifice?"

"Like I said, I did not kill him."

"Scar him psychologically or mentally?"

"No."

"Feed him to predators?"

"He is not dead."

"Give him third-degree burns?"

"No."

"Make him watch **_Barney_**?"

"As tempting as it sounds, sadly, no."

"Then what the heck did you do to him? You must've done something harmful to his health, mind or body at least!" Izumi shouted in horror and anticipation. Her reaction brought horrified looks from the other people listening to their exchange. "I only called him an idiot then brought him outside, nee-san." Ryoma said.

"Brought him outside as in throw him like a javelin or like a sack of flour?"

"A sack of flour, nee-san. Aniki is too heavy."

Needless to say, Ryoma's response scared his guests. The ones nearest to him though did not inch away but held on a mask of indifference. "I knew it! I just knew it from your bright mood!" Izumi exclaimed. "Why is that, Hanabi-chan?" Fuji asked. "Otouto might not look like it, but he loves torturing Ryoga-san in any way possible ever since his return from his previous disappearance. He's been so cranky for the last two years!" Izumi complained.

"No, I wasn't." Ryoma told her with a frown. "Who's to say you weren't? I can point out all the things you've done since training started!" Izumi said. "Like what, Hanabi-chan?" Yukimura asked. "Since you asked so nicely, Yukimura-kun, I'll tell you." Izumi replied with a smile.

"Well, the first one would be supplying me the tennis balls and racket to hit his oyaji. Second would be the Wasabi Torture incident on our last day at my place." The memory still brought shivers to the victims of the incident. "It was followed by the pink-dye-infused shampoo you guys had in the shower room during the first training. Next would be the occasional super spicy meals placed in other tables." Izumi looked thoughtful for a few more moments.

"There was that clothing swap a few days ago, which I was sure was done by otouto as well. Lastly, there was that cacti around the hallways recently." Izumi finished. Shocked stares were locked on Ryoma who looked bored, finished with his meal. "You missed one, nee-san." She raised a brow at that. "I placed some Tabasco in the juice today. I don't remember who got the spiked juice though." He said with a devious grin. As if on cue, a few males stood up, crying about the spicy juice.

"You have really done it this time, otouto." Izumi shook her head in pity for the unfortunate teens. "You were great, Young Master." Sachiko praised him. "Thank you, Sachiko. I have to admit, I had help from Fuji-sempai on this one." Ryoma replied with a smirk. "I'm happy to help." Fuji said.

'The two sadists have come together! The apocalypse is coming!'

* * *

**A/N:** I do not own _**Barney**_!

This note is present to also notify all readers that I, the authoress, am not encouraging any fear for the said show. Honestly, I grew up watching that show when I was still younger.

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	25. I don't want to talk about it

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to Artic-Fox and KiTtEn18sMiLe. :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Shounen-ai, people!**  
**

Here it is, the twenty-fifth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 25: Talking about the matter at hand, I don't want to talk about it.**

Training once again resumed, and had developed into something more intense and serious. Depending on what they needed to improve in, they were either inside at the gym or outside by the pool. Their breaks were, more often than not, spent hanging in a random meeting room. The entertainment room was pretty cool, that they had to admit, but even that room was now being used as part of training.

During those times, Sachiko and Izumi would always bring them tea and snacks, one always being different from the other. One time though, a nice change in routine came. A slow melody reached their ears. The sound, for some reason, had entered through the open window which let the cool breeze in.

They peeked outside to see another open window nearby. That was when they remembered that it was the music room they had been told about. None of them had actually gone there, except for Kirihara but they didn't know that. Thinking that as a good chance to check out the room, and find the source of the soft melody.

They walked cautiously towards the room. They didn't know what to expect, and, as Tezuka told them, they didn't let their guard down. When they opened the door slowly though, as to not disturb whatever or whoever was inside, they were shocked. In the middle of the massive room was a dark cherry grand piano, parallel to the open window. The majestic piano was not what surprised them, but the person playing on it. It was no other than Echizen Ryoma.

The usually arrogant and bratty freshman looked so peaceful and relaxed as he played, much like the surprisingly beautiful music he was making. They had shuffled into the room without a sound and had taken seats near the door, being careful with the instruments by the walls. When Ryoma had stopped playing, they all clapped softly.

Their sudden applause shook the freshman out of his trance and opened his eyes as he faced his unexpected audience. "What are you doing here, sempai-tachi?" He asked with his voice barely above a whisper. Due to the uncommon silence of his guests, he was heard by most of them.

"When did you learn to play so beautifully, Echizen?" Yukimura asked, being an appreciator of classical music himself. "My mother had me take lessons after I showed some interest when I was still young." Ryoma answered softly, his face a little flushed at the compliment. It wasn't that he wasn't used to such compliments, it just felt different, coming from someone who was not from his family.

"Can you play another piece, Echizen?" Yagyuu asked. He, too, was an appreciator like Yukimura, and was often talking about it with the ever-smiling captain. "Hai, Yagyuu-sempai." He said before he positioned himself and his fingers, thinking of a piece to play already. As he shut his eyes, he began to play, to imagine, and to feel the piece.

His fingers moved swiftly but precisely from key to key, not pressing too soft or too hard. The piece blew the breath away from its audience. It gave such a depressed but calm feeling, mirroring his current emotions. Slowly, it died down as it drew to a close.

Silence reigned for a few moments before the applause came. When he looked at the faces of his guests, he saw some of them have calm expressions while the others have blank ones. He guessed that those who were calm are those who actually understood what the strange melody meant, and how his emotions had affected it.

Not wanting to dwell on his thoughts, he stood and went to the wall were the string instruments were kept. He carried his second favorite instrument to the center once more, planning to play another piece to them. He placed the violin under his chin then began to play. The melody was very different from the one before. It was slow, sad and deep, like the farther ends of the ocean.

When he was finished, he felt drained, but it was also like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He didn't- couldn't talk to them about it. Not that they wouldn't understand, no, but he was afraid. These people in front of him are his friends, the only ones he made throughout the years he stayed in the human world, and they meant everything to him.

He opened his eyes as he removed the violin from under his chin. He looked at their faces, their reactions. The calm ones from before looked somewhat depressed while the blank ones from before were still the same. At that time, he finally knew they were the ones who could understand his music – his actual emotions – without a single word.

It made a somewhat weird feeling rise up in him, but it felt familiar. 'Is this relief?' He asked himself, but it felt different from what he felt when he confronted Izumi. 'Could it be happiness?' He had an inkling feeling that this might be the truth. He did just find people who can finally understand him that are normal humans. Two bright faces instantly came to mind, the faces of two girls from a distant memory. He remembered the older one's words from long ago.

_"There is no real happiness that can be attained by the human soul through material things. Real happiness is contentment on what you have, or finding that certain something you have been missing in your life."_

The words were still fresh in his mind, as like the memory. It brought him a sense of closure, the memory that is. It proves that they weren't just a dream, but something that actually happened. He never could- never wanted to forget them. That made all the difference.

"Are you happy, Koshimae?" Kintarou's voice rang in the air. His voice was as lively as his facial expression. "Yes, Tooyama-kun." He replied in a light tone, but his face was blank. A few gasps were heard after his reply. 'They probably didn't know we're close now.' He assumed.

He didn't know how right he was. Most the shocked ones were from Seigaku, and some others were just the more expressive ones. The more quiet ones raised a brow at the change of formalities they just witnessed. They were getting more surprised by the sudden revelations about the black-haired freshman.

Ever since training started, he had been surprising them with new things about him, and changing the things they thought they already knew. That fact made them wonder and confusion had settled in their minds. Is the person who they met before was part of the real Echizen Ryoma, or was he only a mask?

"Koshimae?" Kintarou asked. "Yes, Tooyama-kun?" Ryoma replied in a bored voice. "You've been acting weird lately." Kintarou bluntly stated, but a look of curiosity was on his face. "What do you mean?" The younger freshman asked in confusion, raising a brow at the red-head as he did. He prepared himself for the barricade of questions he predicted that was most likely to come from the older freshman.

"Cooking skills?"

"My mother taught me a few years ago."

"Creature issues?"

"That is personal."

"Very formal table manners?"

"I grew up living with my grandfather when I was younger."

"You are more talkative."

"I just am."

"You are a pianist?"

"Yes."

"Can you play lots of instruments?"

"Yes."

"You kissed Kirihara-sempai."

"He's my boyfriend."

"For how long?"

"One-and-a-half years."

A lot of shocked gasps erupted from the older teens. They didn't expect that the two brattiest players were actually together, even with the kiss Ryoma had given to the junior. Kintarou laughed at their reactions, causing them to be more surprised. "Koshimae is very easy to read when you know him." The hyper red-haired freshman told them, earning him a glare from the black-haired one.

"So that's why you go to Tokyo twice a month!" Chitose exclaimed in recognition. "Give sempai a gold star." Ryoma remarked in an annoyed tone. He didn't like his hangouts with his best friend getting publicized so much. He was revealing too much already. "And it's Echizen, Tooyama-kun, not Koshimae." He told his best friend. "'Echizen' sounds so _boring_. 'Koshimae' is more fun!" Kintarou exclaimed as he bounced towards the annoyed teen. "Hn." Ryoma simply replied in annoyance.

"Why are you just telling us now?" Momo asked. He was supposed to be Ryoma's best friend, but now, he felt replaced by the red-head in front of him. "You never asked." Ryoma simply replied. To them, it did make a point, unlike earlier situations where he gave that reply. It wasn't a must for him to tell them his whole life story or current events of his love life.

"But we're your friends! You could've told us something at least!" He exclaimed. "Then what will you do?" The younger teen asked. Momo grew quiet like the rest of the teens. "You should've told them something, otouto, even if it was a small one. Momoshiro is right. They are your friends, but you kept most of your life from them as a lie." A female voice suddenly said. They all turned towards the door to see Izumi leaning against the door.

"Hai. Gomen, sempai-tachi." He said with a bow. "Just one thing, so we'll really forgive you." Fuji suddenly said. The black-green-haired freshman stood up straight and gave a look at his sadistic sempai. "What is it, Fuji-sempai?" He asked warily. "Who started the relationship?" The fair-haired sadist asked, giving a small glance at the blushing black-haired junior on the corner.

"I did." Ryoma replied with a smug smirk on his face. "You're the **seme**?" Izumi suddenly asked, confusing the other teens in the room. The questioned male did not reply but released himself from his best friend's clutches. He walked towards his boyfriend and made the older boy tilt his head up.

He gave the blushing junior a passionate kiss on the lips, which the junior gladly returned. They stayed that way for a few seconds before Ryoma pulled away, a small string of saliva shining in the light for a few seconds before it broke. The blush of the junior below him intensified, completely embarrassed.

"What do you think?" Ryoma asked with a smirk on his face as he faced his older sister. The males were surprised to see her covering her nose with her sleeve. She removed her sleeve to let them see her huge shark-like grin – completely pleased – and a small trail of blood coming from her nose. Her face had a blush that was more toned down than Kirihara's.

"Honestly, I thought you would've been the uke. I guess I was mistaken." Izumi replied before she squealed in delight. She felt all tingly and giddy. "Oh, Mitsu! Look at my brother, he's already grown up!" She cried as she pulled the sleeve of her cousin's shirt while in a crouching position. Tezuka, having no escape from her grip, simply let her do her thing.

"Hanabi-san, what's a seme and an uke?" Gakuto asked with an innocent look on his face. Hearing that question, Izumi stood up straight but had a devilish look on her smiling face. All of a sudden, a whiteboard came out from the ceiling and Izumi pulled out a whiteboard marker. She made a few drawings and wrote a few words before proceeding to her discussion.

"These are terms used by fans like me in referring to people in a homosexual relationship. I am not sure if it used in shoujo-ai or girl-to-girl love, but I see it all the time in shounen-ai or boy-to-boy love. Seme is technically the dominant one in the relationship, while the uke is the more submissive one. Uncommonly, the seme is referred to as the 'male' of the relationship while the uke is the 'female'." Izumi had a weird glint in her eye.

"Lastly, the seme is the one on top while the uke is the one on the bottom, if you know what I mean." Izumi finished in a very suggestive tone and small wink. The more innocent ones looked clueless at her final statement while the more mature ones understood her. The latter group mostly had blushes on their faces and looked at Kirihara, whose face was as red a tomato.

"You're cute when you blush, Aka-chan." Ryoma teased his boyfriend, making the older teen's blush grow more intense. This scene made almost everyone chuckle at the lovebirds' antics. Though it was surprising that Ryoma was the more dominant one, seeing the older brat blushing like a school girl was a rare sight. Seeing the distraction, Ryoma placed a peck on his boyfriend's cheek before leaning towards his ear.

"I love you, Akaya."

* * *

**A/N:** Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	26. Not all is well

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I dedicate this chapter to Artic-Fox and KiTtEn18sMiLe. :D

I was feeling a little down, so this is what happened. This harbors some of my fears, not that I like publicizing such a thing. I just- (sighs) Let's just get on with it.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Shounen-ai, people!

Here it is, the twenty-sixth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 26: Not all is well.**

With the news of Ryoma and Kirihara dating now official, the teens were now usual witnesses to the younger's teasing, much to the older teen's chagrin. Though there were rare times that Kirihara would pull one off, making the younger teen blush and grow all shy like the former usually did.

Even with that, they, the couple, were also subjected to disgusted looks from some teens. They had failed to acknowledge at first the people who might not approve of their peculiar relationship. Sadly, some of them were Gakuto, Momo, Kaidoh, Reiji, Kamio, Mizuki, Wakato and Sengoku.

Ryoma was depressed to find out his two teammates were avoiding him because of his preference, but paid them no heed like the others. Kirihara, though, wasn't as disturbed as Ryoma was, but noticed the depressed mood the younger was in when they were alone. He knew something needed to be done before the younger male cracked under pressure.

"Ryoma." The said teen looked up from his assigned schoolwork to face his similarly busy boyfriend. "Yes, Akaya?" He asked; he was a little worried because of the older teen's dead serious tone he had used. "Let's talk." With that, they both pulled away from their own stack of papers and proceeded to the lush brown couch nearby. They were in one of the deeper parts of the library, which was rarely visited by their friends, so they had all the privacy they needed.

"What is this about?" Kirihara noticed the worry in the younger's voice. "It's about _them_." He knew the amber-eyed male knew he was talking about, the people who did not approve of and were disgusted at their relationship. "What about _them_?" The younger male blankly asked. The older teen let out a deep sigh before he made his boyfriend face him.

"I know that their opinions have affected you, and badly, might I add, but you can't let it get to you." He told the younger teen. "I know." Ryoma mumbled under his breath, as he stared at his lap again. "Look at me, Ryoma." The freshman did not move. "Please look at me, Ryoma." He repeated. This time, the younger moved.

"Do you remember what you told my parents when we finally told them that we were dating one-and-a-half years ago?" He knew it was the perfect memory for Ryoma to relate to. He remembered that day clearly in his mind. His parents were definitely against his relationship with the freshman at first simply because of issues of society, but after Ryoma's little speech, they were moved and let them be. Though they were clearly unpleased at first, they gradually grew to accept their relationship (in a very, _very_ slow pace). He knew, though, that it wasn't most likely going to happen with the other teens.

_"I never knew you could fall so deep, to let other people's opinions dictate your lifestyle. People think differently from each other and they influence one another, but it is up to you on how you act upon it. You are your own person. They are not your masters."_

It was that very moment that he was reminded of his main reason why he fell for the cocky brat. He was called many things – cocky, bratty, arrogant, blunt and dense – but that was mostly because he chose to live his life as he sees it. His life was a battleground from the day he became the step-son of the ex-tennis pro and took up tennis. The younger teen before him had not only ignored but exceeded the expectations placed upon him, only because he turned their sneers, taunts, and insults to his drive.

Ryoma, on the other hand, was also deep in thought about what the green-eyed teen had said. He, too, remembered that day clearly. He had clearly told them how he lived his life, a moral of sorts. He grew up under pressure, both positive and negative. Remembering that day made him realize something he made himself never forget.

'I can **never** please everyone.'

He engraved that phrase deeply in his heart when he was still young. How could he have forgotten it in such a short length of time? 'I must be getting soft, letting their opinions affect me so much.' He thought as he looked at his boyfriend who still had a worried look on his face.

"It's okay to feel affected, Ryoma. They **are** your friends, after all." He raised a brow as he heard this. What was the older teen trying to say? "My point is that, you have closed yourself too much. You have let other people's thoughts bounce off for too long, that now you started to care, you're taking it badly." He was now confused, and he guessed his confusion showed when Kirihara sighed deeply once again.

"What I'm saying is that, you are forgetting to look at the **bright** side of things. You're focusing too much on what you have **lost**. Sure, you know that you can't please **everyone**, but you're starting to ignore the friends who stayed beside you, those who are currently worried about you."

He was surprised at what he had heard, but he knew it was the truth. He had been a **fool** to think he was doing it right, when he was obviously still falling short. "Thank you, Akaya." He whispered as he gave the older teen a real smile. "Anything for you, baka. You have people who accept you for who you are now." The older teen said as he wrapped an arm around his waist.

"You are **not** alone."

It was a short whisper before their lips met in a short but loving kiss. As they parted, Ryoma felt something wet going down his cheek. He lifted his hand to touch his cheek only to find out that they were tears, _his tears_. It had been a long time since he cried like that, but it wasn't any normal occasion anyway.

After a few seconds of contemplation, he cried, _hard_. He let all the built up stress and sadness in his heart flow out in his tears. He didn't know when exactly, but when he was finished crying and wiped away his tears, he was enclosed in his lover's embrace. "Feeling better now?" Kirihara softly asked. He nodded mutely, not trusting his voice at the moment.

They stayed there for a few more seconds before going back to their schoolwork, feeling better than before. What happened earlier was one of Kirihara's more open and encouraging side, which Ryoma was happy that only he could fall witness to. It was those times when he gets reminded of the main reason he fell for the childish junior.

The hot-tempered male had been often associated with the adjectives idiotic, childish, loud, brash and rude, but he was able to crack that cheeky mask that was so similar to his, **minus** the lack of emotion, being anti-social, and bluntness. The bratty junior had a knack for reading other people's moods and acting accordingly. Though, most often than not, he uses that skill to cheer up the people around him, or at least lessen the tension, with the childish persona he has.

Following that thought was a sudden pain felt in his heart, making him frown. Knowing the unique bright and warm aura that naturally surrounds Kirihara, which is in contrast with his dark and cold one, he gets the feeling that he's lacking in something. He thinks that the junior deserves someone better, someone more emotionally stable than someone like him who is terribly secretive and undoubtly destructive.

He unconsciously chewed on his bottom lip as he twirled his pen on his left hand.

Damn it! He hated it gets thoughts like that. He feels so _insecure_, making him doubt **why** the exuberant male even chose **him**. Even he himself knew how _irritating_ his mask could get. He deeply admired the junior for putting up with him all this time and still loves him anyway. He never knew how the junior put up with him.

Ryoma started doodling on the blank paper before him, trying to keep himself busy as he is preoccupied with his thoughts.

Even if Ryoma thinks like that, he was absolutely thankful that Kirihara chose him. 'Selfish.' He often thinks. To him, he doesn't know what kind of life he would be leading if it weren't for that strong-minded junior that supported him in the random times he had broken down, a proof of his weak emotional stability that had developed since childhood.

He had led a double life. His first life in this world bore a horrible secret of murdering his very own step-mother, who loved him deeply and vice versa. It was even witnessed by his blood father and step-sisters, **not** the best audience at all. Even with that, they forgave him easily. The only punishment he received was not being able to remain in contact with his sisters, whom he also dearly loved.

His current life was more pressured, expectations being thrown at him once they found out he was Nanjirou's son – step-son but most people didn't know that, even with their lack of resemblance. (He really wondered where he and his brother even got their black hair, the tint only caused by long sunny days spent outside. His brother had been the same.) He merely played for the thrill of the challenge, the want to grow and meet stronger players.

Behind the cocky nature, his darker side lurked. The inner sadist in him had been awakened by his brother's constant attention-seeking, which grew to a sense of masochism. In his defense, simple words did **not** go through his brother's **thick** skull. His fists had gone through though, not literally, but it only lasted so long.

In short, he was one _seriously_ fucked-up freshman.

In addition to being homosexual, his life couldn't get anymore crazier as it is. He fell for, and was dating, the hot-tempered Junior Ace of Rikkai dai. His self-proclaimed sister seemed to have a split personality, one being a more violent female version of Tezuka and the other being a complete hardcore _anime otaku_. His maid was a cosplayer, which he rated to be already in the ranks of being a professional.

Lastly, his friends which were majority if not all of his guests (though he'll never admit it verbally) usually acted like they either were high on crack or simply insane, even the more level-headed ones. No one completely sane could last with their sanity intact with them, but this only leads him to think about his own sanity.

He knew he was **not** sane, but _insane_? That he wondered.

'But that's for another day.' Ryoma told himself as he stopped whatever he was doing. He glanced down at the once blank paper to see that the random doodles he had done turned out to be a shocking drawing of _that_ night, but only the setting. He had drawn the lake, complete with the red spider lilies and the small boulders near its banks.

Ryoma froze as he tried to register what he had drew, shock and disbelief coiling around him mind. 'This couldn't be happening to me **again**.' He thought in fear of what might happen. The memories of his previous episode never left his mind. No matter how many times his mother had tried to console him, he could **never** accept it. He then did the only thing he knew he could do.

He _cried_.

* * *

**A/N: **Ryoma is so lucky. I'm envious of what he has. (sighs) Writing this chapter is based a little of what I have gathered from people I knew, but most from my personal experience.

The little quote that Ryoma said is mine. I didn't copy it from anyone. It's sort of like my own view of things, you see. (insert-nervous-laugh-here)

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. I might have been a _little_ excited when I typed this so... Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	27. Finest Glass and Hardest Steel

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I apologize for the late update. I got a little busy. hehehehe...

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Little shounen-ai.

Here it is, the twenty-seventh chapter!

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**Chapter 27: He was more fragile than the finest glass, but sturdier than the hardest steel.**

Kirihara was focused on his schoolwork, until soft sobs were picked up by his ears. There was only one person with him at the time, and they were the only ones in the library. 'It couldn't be-' His thought was cut off as he took in the sight of his boyfriend, streams of tears cascading down his face like a waterfall.

In an instant, he stood next to the crying freshman, ready to console him, but before he could say anything, he saw the drawing on the table. He froze when he actually took in the sketch. It was of the lake Sachiko had shown them from the mansion's lingering memory. Remembering Rinko's words before they left, he pieced it together.

"Hush, Ryoma. Everything will be alright." He whispered. He didn't know if he was doing it right, because he didn't know what exactly was going on his boyfriend's head. He had a rough clue though, and it had something to do with what happened at that lake years ago. When the younger teen's sobs didn't stop but grew more intense, his heart broke at the sight.

'Ryoma.' He sadly thought as he pulled the freshman into his embrace. The crying teen instantly clung on to him. 'What is happening to you, Ryoma?' He asked mentally out of worry. He noticed the teen being more depressed after the few hours of pure hidden delight of Ryoga's return had faded. The sudden crying his boyfriend is going through spoke volumes.

"What is wrong, Ryoma?" He whispered as he leveled himself to the distraught teen. "The drawing- The memories- My step-mother- I-" The younger teen had mumbled only to succumb to crying once again. His mumbled words only confirmed his speculations. Once again, he tried to make his boyfriend stop crying.

"Relax and take a few breaths, Ryoma." He told the crying teen. Luckily for him, the cries had died down to a few sniffles before there was only silence between them. He made his boyfriend look him in the eye, only to see red-rimmed amber eyes full of fear. "What do you fear, Ryoma? What is making you cry?" He asked in a hushed voice as he pulled away to give the younger teen some space.

"I unconsciously drew the lake, and then I remembered about my step-mother." Ryoma took a few deep breaths, calming himself. "I remembered my past, around the time she died. Even if I didn't like her that much, she was still like another mother to me." Ryoma continued shakily.

"A few years ago, I lost control." Ryoma admitted in a bitter tone, fueling his self-hate. "I don't recall much what happened, but okaa-san said I kept hurting myself and I was screaming." He drew his knees up to his body and hugged himself. "When I snapped out of it, I was covered in bandages. The first time was around Ryoga's first return while the last time was just a week before the training." He informed in a low voice.

Kirihara was shocked at what his boyfriend had just told him, but kept his shock to himself. He wasn't always good with words, and he feared that he might say something foolish and depress Ryoma more, so he did what he thought he can only do. He simply took the younger teen back to his embrace.

"You don't always need to be in control. You can loosen up, even if it's only with me." Kirihara didn't know where that came from, but he thought it was the right thing to say when Ryoma visibly calmed down. "Thank you, Akaya." Ryoma said as he faced his boyfriend and gave him a sincere smile.

"Don't worry about it."

The next day, Ryoma was nowhere to be found. When everyone was summoned for breakfast, which was prepared by Sachiko and Izumi, the master of the house was the only one not present. They asked Kirihara but he didn't have a clue. He dropped Ryoma off by his room last night, and even made sure he was asleep before he left. That brought fits of worry and fear among the teens, even some of the haters. Homosexual or not, he was still their comrade. (They wouldn't call him a friend yet.)

"Let's eat breakfast first, everyone. Afterwards, everyone is to go to their rooms and wash up. Meet up in the meeting room closest to the staircase afterwards." Izumi ordered with a sense of finality. No one spoke a word and simply went on eating. A couple of minutes later, everyone but the coaches were there. "The coaches would check if he left the area." Izumi informed them before going to business-mode, as some others had referred to it.

"Okay. Everyone is to be divided by their respective groups. Spider group," Kaidoh, Inui, Hiyoshi, Yanagi, Ibu, Kamio, Yuuta and Mizuki looked at her as she called them, "are to search the third floor." The eight males nodded in understanding. "Next is the Cat group." Momo, Taka, Gakuto, Kabaji, Jackal, Kintarou, Wakato and Sengoku looked attentive as she called their group. "You guys are to search the first floor." They all gave small mutters of agreement.

"Wolf room," Eiji, Jirou, Shishido, Choutarou, Niou, Marui, Youhei and Kouhei turned their heads towards her as she paused for a second, "are to search the second floor." They mutely nodded in understanding. "Inui-san, Jackal-san and Marui-kun, I trust the three of you to lead your respective groups." The three males nodded in reply. "Spider, Cat and Wolf groups are dismissed." With that, twenty-four males left the meeting room, leaving fifteen males, Sachiko and Izumi in the meeting room.

Izumi stared at the two groups left. The Dog group consisted of Tezuka, Oishi, Atobe, Yukimura, Sanada, Chitose, Reiji and Tachibana, while Fox room had Fuji, Oshitari, Yagyuu, Kirihara, Shiraishi, Kajimoto and Saeki. She sighed deeply, glad that she grouped the more level-headed and trustworthy ones together, not that she'll ever say that out loud.

"Dog and Fox groups are to combine and help us," Izumi waved her hand in the space between her and Sachiko, "look outside. I know that otouto told us specifically not to wander around, but we need to look for him. Any suggestions on how we would tackle the huge forest?" She asked.

"I have an idea." They all looked at Kirihara, not the least bit surprised. "What is it?" Izumi asked. "We try to find the lake. That's the only place he could really go to in this forest that was know." He answered. Silence fell in the room. "That is possible. I can try to track the lake using memory trails, which are like scents, using my powers." Sachiko told them. "What if he isn't there?" Oishi asked, being the worry wart he is. "Trust me." Kirihara had a serious look on his face as he stood up.

"I know he's there."

With that, they set off to the forest. Just before they entered it though, they noticed that it was dimmer than before. "At which point do we enter, Sachiko-san?" Izumi asked. "Just follow me. Stay in pairs behind me." Sachiko's voice was straightforward and held no room for arguments, not that they planned to in the first place.

As they trudged along the dirt road and dodged low branches, they noticed the less light passing through the foliage as they go deeper into the forest. The air that was warm before they entered had turned into cold breezes. When Oishi checked his watch, he saw that it wasn't even ten o'clock in the morning, much to his shock.

"Can you tell how close we are to the lake, Sachiko-san?" Tachibana asked. "I am not sure, but I assume so. The trail I am following seems to grow stronger around these parts." She replied, not once looking back at them, solely focused on finding the lake. "I brought healing charm in case you need it, Sachiko-san. I can reuse it as many times as I want." They heard Izumi mutter, but in the silence of the forest, she was heard clearly by them.

Minutes ticked on as they continued walking, an ominous feeling starting to grow as they went deeper and deeper, trees growing closer to one another as the numbers increase. In the thickness of the foliage, barely any light were able to pass through. Luckily, Izumi had brought a flashlight to illuminate their way, even if it was only a sliver of light in the dark.

All of a sudden, Sachiko stops on her tracks. Fortunately for them, they were able to stop in time as to not bump into one another. They waited for the pink-haired female to speak. "Unknown to most, I had brought along Young Master's pet with me. This," she showed them a strip of red cloth, "is the collar I strapped around his paw. Assuming that he is with Young Master and not merely following him, he must have pulled it off when he noticed they were going too far into the woods." Sachiko explained. "Karupin is a smart cat, as he was trained by Ryoma himself." Izumi commented for them to understand.

They simply nodded when they understood what the two females meant. That red strip of cloth was proof, the only proof that they were going in the right direction to find their missing friend, and so, they continued on with their walk. Soon, after numerous minutes of walking – which Oishi deducted was nearly half an hour after checking his watch – and a short break for Izumi to replenish Sachiko's energy, they reached the lake.

Much like the memory they saw, there was a clearing and in the center of it was a lake. The only difference was the trees that were littered in what used to be a clearing. The similarly thick foliage caused by the trees made the area around the lake dimmer, and smaller in comparison as the area blended with the dense forest around it.

By the currently illuminated lake surrounded by red flowers and small boulders was a small huddled figure by the shore. Next to that figure was a white and brown animal. The said animal turned their way before charging towards them, dodging trees in its path, and headed straight to Sachiko. "Meow!" It was a cat, and a few of them recognized the feline to be Ryoma's pet cat, Karupin. "Karupin." Sachiko said as the cat bit on her stocking and tried to pull her towards its master.

"Please go to my master! He needs you!" Karupin said, but was only heard by the humans as a string of meowing. He tugged on the sock of the pink-haired female he recognized by scent. He was glad when she, the pink-haired female, finally understood what he meant and walked towards his master.

Seeing as they were on their way, he zoomed past them and went to his master's side. "Master!" He meowed, trying to attract his owner's attention. His amber-eyed owner did not move. Worried at the human's lack of response and movement, he bit on what he could reach gently, which happened to be Ryoma's finger.

"Itai."

Karupin was glad at the reaction he received. It was proof that he wasn't being ignored anymore. His owner had pulled away from his previous position just in time for his friends' coming. He brought his pale blue eyes to the small group of humans – fifteen males and two females – and scanned them one by one, sensing for any familiar faces or scents.

'Master's maid, sister, boyfriend, close friend, captain are here.' Karupin eyed the unfamiliar people. 'Just as long as they don't do anything harmful to master, I won't bother with them.' With that thought, he jumped towards his owner's arms. When thin fingers began massaging his fur, he purred in content. He looked at his owner with worry. 'I hope you will be okay, master.'

"Ryoma."

The said teen looked up from his ever-reliable pet to see his friends, maid, sister and boyfriend standing next to him. He didn't say a word and simply gave them a blank look. "Why did you go here, Echizen?" Oishi, being the worry wart he is, asked. "I needed some time to think." His voice was lifeless and dull.

Silence befell them for a few seconds before he felt two arms wrap around him, casting him into a cape of warmth. "I understand that you are hurting, otouto." He heard his self-proclaimed sister mutter to his ear which caught him off guard. His eyes betrayed his shock, making Izumi pull away. "It must have been hard on you, Echizen, to be subjected to the others' hurtful behavior, mostly by our teammates." Fuji said as the close-eyed teen kneeled before him and ran thin, pale fingers through his hair.

He purred at the treatment he received. The brown-haired senior massaged the top of his head, bringing back memories he thought he had forgotten. "I was scared." The fingers stopped moving and moved away from him, making an unexpected whimper leave his lips, but the fingers never returned. He turned his head to see not his close friend, but his lover by his side.

"I will always be beside you, Ryoma." The green-eyed junior whispered as he felt familiar fingers entwine with his own. Amber eyes full of worry stared straight into warm green ones. Those captivating eyes gave him the silent boost he needed, but his voice was stuck in his throat. He looked away from everyone and stared at the lake, a weird sense of comfort enveloping him.

"I had been here before, to this lake years ago." He started with his voice shaky at first. "Someone precious to me, someone I held deeply to my heart, had sunken to the dark depths of this lake." He felt as if he was replaced by another person, not foreign but familiar. His free hand grazed the water beside him, making small ripples.

"Before that person drifted away from me, she took something extremely precious from me." He rested his hand gently on top of the water, in between floating and sinking. "She didn't steal it. No, she didn't." Amber eyes welled up with tears. "It was given to her willingly, albeit too early for her own good, and had left with her to join her demise." His voice had no edge or hate, simply sorrow.

Unknown to him, sad eyes stared at him. Pity was present in some, but select others felt sorrow for him. The latter group stepped forward, followed by the rest, and placed a hand on the depressed freshman. "You are not alone anymore, Echizen." Fuji told him. The silence that followed lasted only for a few mere seconds before it was broken by the soft sound of sobbing.

The freshman faced them; stripped from all masks he wore to protect himself. Gone was the cocky and arrogant brat he was known to be. Gone was the aloof façade he had embraced for many years. Gone was the detached person they first knew. There, before them in all his glory, was the real Ryoma.

The real Ryoma was a broken-hearted, lonely child still haunted by the ghosts of his past.

Inside, they knew their hearts ached, painfully being squeezed by an unknown force, but it wasn't unknown to them. This force, they were sure, was the hand of truth. To see a close friend of theirs so broken, so hurt, it drained them of the little life and positivity left within them at that moment.

Somehow, in that single moment, everything was clear to them – well, as clear as it could be. Ryoma was afraid of losing their friendship, but their bond wasn't as simple as others make it out to be, which made it that much more important. It was so simple, and yet so hard to understand at first. The fact was so self-contradicting that it was both confusing but also so clear.

As fast as that moment came, it left in silence, as Ryoma opened his mouth to speak. "Thank you." His voice was hoarse and dry, but his tone was the opposite. His tone showed his relief and appreciation of their actions and presence. He gave them a smile, which – like the look he gave them earlier – was different from his previous smiles.

It wasn't the smirk he places when he wins a match or a prank of his is successful. It wasn't the forced smile he gives when he says that he is okay even when he is not. It wasn't the smile that never really reaches his eyes when he forces himself to be happy. It wasn't the small smile his tries to hide when he bears witness to something he deems funny or pleasant.

There he was, a young boy of fifteen, sitting on the ground next to the lake with his loyal companion – Karupin – on his lap, looking up at his friends that formed a small semi-circle in front of him. On his pale face that still looked a little too young for his age was a sincere smile that came from the bottom of his heart. The light that shone upon the rich blue lake illuminated him from behind, the golden ray giving an illusion of an angel.

He looked ethereal.

The bright light he shone upon them was contagious, and soon all them had a hint of a smile on their face. They felt the warm aura of the freshman that slowly but surely crept into their hearts for many years and made his place. There, they decided individually, and unknowingly as a group, that they would never let the heartbroken child from before resurface again.

* * *

**A/N: **I had an urge to be a little poetic, but since it's been a while since I even wrote a decent poem, **this** (*points at story*) is what happened.

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	28. I just forgot

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** I apologize again for the **really** late update. It has been a hectic month for me, and now classes have started. *sighs*

I dedicate this super late chapter to **Artic-Fox 14** and **KiTtEn18sMiLe**!

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Very little shounen-ai.

Here it is, the twenty-eighth chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 28: I just forgot.**

The eighteen teens, plus one cat, walked back towards the mansion in peace, at least for the first few minutes. They were lead by the two females and Ryoma. "How did you know I was at the lake, nee-san?" Ryoma suddenly asked. "Funny enough, Kirihara-kun was sure that you were there." Izumi answered thoughtlessly.

"Akaya." The freshman said in a dark tone as slowed down to keep in pace with the junior. "Yes, anata?" Kirihara squeaked out nervously, not noticing what he had actually said.

This scene caused a very peculiar – but hilarious – scene to appear in the other teens present. Needless to say, it was Ryoma (wearing a dress) scolding a very nervous Kirihara (much like what he appeared to be at that moment) in a home setting with the freshman holding a very lethal cleaning equipment or roll of newspaper (dependent on the person imagining). How it came to that, none of them had a clue.

"You have lots of explaining to do when we get back." The freshman gave a stern look at the junior before increasing his pace and went side-by-side with his maid and self-proclaimed sister. When Kirihara was sure Ryoma was distracted, he let out a dejected sigh.

'Yeah, totally like a married couple.' The others thought, but their reactions varied depending on the person. All of them either had a smile or a passive look on their face. Kirihara did not notice this as he was too busy with his thoughts.

For the rest of the walk back to the mansion, the teens were enveloped in a comfortable silence, well not so for Kirihara though. They made it back faster than when they left with Ryoma knowing the way and all. Everyone, in exception of the coaches, was assembled in a random meeting room. Izumi did most of the explaining though, knowing which things not to mention and what to cover-up.

"As nee-san had said, Akaya had a certain feeling that he knew where I was. Though this is long over-due, he has some explaining to do to all of you." Ryoma said before giving the green-eyed junior a stern look, much like earlier. Nervously laughing all the while, Kirihara stood up and walked to the front.

"I am a Creature too."

A chorus of shocked gasps and surprised shouts erupted from the room for a few minutes before they all calmed down again. "If you could sense Echizen, why didn't you tell us in the first place?" Eiji asked. "That, sempai, was a gut feeling. It had nothing to do with my powers." Kirihara answered.

"You could've fooled me, Akaya." Ryoma sarcastically replied. This let everyone know the junior was hiding something from them. "Why are you hiding from us, Akaya?" Yukimura asked as a dark aura surrounded him. Though it wasn't as dark or evil as Ryoma's, it was just above average, but it still made Kirihara cower in fear.

"I can only sense his presence if he's within a certain range, but it is a little vague when he's farther. My limit is the main mansion itself, so I sensed if he was even here or not. I have two reasons for not telling all of you. First, I have nothing solid to back it up to you guys because you were not aware of me being a Creature." Kirihara paused for a moment.

"Second, I can't let everyone search outside. The forest is dense, as the others who went with me might know, and the only person who can track Ryoma is Sachiko, the only known person who has powers, but she has limits. Hanabi-sempai had to heal her halfway into the forest." Kirhara ended.

"So why did you let us waste our time looking here then, Bakaya?" Niou asked in an annoyed tone. "I did it to distract you all." Kirihara answered. "Why would you do that?" Marui asked, also annoyed. "Do not let Kirihara-san's decision blind you all. You were all told that venturing to the woods is forbidden." Sachiko said before Kirihara could reply.

"Sachiko is correct. Otouto did tell you all of that. Letting all of you go to that forest would be suicide, because of its denseness. It is easy to get lost, more so if you have a big group." Izumi backed up. "Why are we forbidden to go there anyway? Why could you guys go?" Kamio asked.

"Like I said, it is easy to get lost there. Naturally, we shouldn't even go there except otouto, since he's familiar with the place and all. We were able to go there with no problem because of Sachiko's powers which she used for tracking, but even then she lacked to go on the full trek. I had to heal her halfway." Izumi replied solemnly.

"I think we're forgetting an important point here!" Kintarou exclaimed, getting everyone's attention. "Kirihara-sempai still hasn't told us why he even kept being a Creature from us even when we knew Koshimae and Sachiko are." The redhead continued. Murmurs were heard from most teens before they all stared at Kirihara.

"Actually, I just forgot." Kirihara nervously told them. The teens before him did not know how to react. They felt a cold wind enter the quiet room, but no one reacted. They expected something different, and more valid, than just forgetting. How can someone forget what kind they were, mostly if they were different from most people and even had their own world?

A few seconds later, chuckles and laughs were heard in the room, mostly from Niou and Marui. 'Same old Akaya.' Marui and Niou thought as they clutched their stomachs as they laughed. The others were more controlled, or did not feel the same intensity of the humor the two teens did.

The two females, Ryoma and Kirihara did not laugh but all had smiles on their faces. "That went on pretty well." Kirihara whispered to his boyfriend. "You're just lucky they didn't ask more questions." Ryoma's reply was snarky and bratty, but he could sense the relief in the freshman's words. Inside, he was relieved as well. He assumed the same for the two females with them.

Afterwards, the rest of the day was spent trying to find out some of Kirihara's skills, or at least which skills he used his power on. Ryoma, they had noticed, usually used it in enhancing his speed or power, and teleportation. Sachiko rarely used her powers, but from what they've seen, they were viewing memories, and tracking using memory trails. Izumi, as she had mentioned earlier, did healing, but there was that time when they first met Sachiko, which Izumi had told them was Stun Charm.

Over the small free time they had, they found out some of Kirihara's preferences on using his power. He used it on doing searches (the presence detecting thing) and, like Ryoma, enhancing his speed or power. He also told them that they – Izumi, Sachiko, Ryoma and himself – couldn't just use their power carelessly or they will tire out easily. Using their powers requires focus and energy. Some skills or tricks they might be able to do sometimes require a lot of energy mostly if they aren't used into using that particular skill often, much like Sachiko's trailing earlier.

In the end, the day started eventful but ended uneventfully. The rest of their training days were spent doing a similar routine before all the commotion started. The only changes worth mentioning were their food, as their training regime alternated every other day. On the last day of actual training, they were told that the coaches had already left for Tokyo.

"The coaches had to go back ahead because of our month's worth of schoolwork. It would be harder for Seigaku, Hyotei and Rikkai Dai if our schoolwork were received too late because the whole tennis team for these schools – plus me on Seigaku – attended the training." Izumi explained to them.

"The last day of training is under my supervision anyway. I hope you guys haven't forgotten that I kept all your little gadgets and your precious rackets before training started." Izumi told them in a teasing tone as she had a very Fuji-like smile on her face. She scanned their faces to see that some of them were embarrassed, confirming her assumption for some.

"While you were sleeping last night, I snuck in to all your rooms and placed your things there. Don't ask how I know whose things are theirs, I just do." She has a shark-like grin on her face when she told them that. Most teens in the dining room suddenly had blushes on their faces. She forced herself not to chuckle as she remembered the funny sleeping faces and positions the teens were in.

"Anyway, there is a twist. You have to search for your stuff in the room. I hid them in good hiding places, so you better start there." She informed them. She received nods in response. "You have half an hour to look for them. The clock starts now!" She exclaimed and in an instant, all the males in the room had run off.

After half an hour, all of them had found their stuff and were summoned outside. "Now that we finished your warm-up, we'll be getting to business. I'm sure that some, if not all, had noticed the paper I wrapped around the handle of your rackets." Izumi watched them remove the papers.

"Written in those papers is your training regime for today. I made it by the hour or half hour so that all of you would not take breaks or have problems." Izumi gave them a bright smile. "The training will start on eight o'clock and it is already two minutes before the assigned time. Go to your stations, and only start at the given time." She informed them.

For the next few hours, all the males were busy with their assigned training regime. They all had a break for lunch then resumed training. All of them had a chance to see the effects of the training with assigned practice matches. By six o'clock in the evening, they were done and tired. They all stayed at the main lobby, too tired to find a random meeting room to hang in.

"Dinner is ready!"

Izumi and Sachiko had done all the chores usually assigned to them even if they were training so they could focus on their scheduled training. All of them were grateful and had said their thanks to the two females when they could. They shuffled tiredly to the dining room, quietly going to the tables with their silently-agreed-upon group. After dinner, all of them, even the girls, slept early for the night.

The next day, they were all woken up by Sachiko. They had breakfast then fixed all their stuff. They were going back home, and even if they were excited, they were a little depressed. During the training, they all made (and broke) bonds with one another. They discovered things about people from other teams (mostly about Ryoma).

Even with the heavy atmosphere among them as they all gathered in the main lobby with their stuff, they still acted like they did for the previous three weeks in the mansion. This was heavily noticed by the red-haired female. She, too, made some bonds with them (friendships and acquaintances alike), and was also saddened that they needed to part. With that in thought, she cleared her throat, calling their attention, which was given fully.

"For the past month, I know that all of you had undergone serious training, and with such, had encountered problems and complications about yourselves and others," she looked at their faces in silence for a moment, "but now, this is the last afternoon together for us forty-two teenagers. Knowing this, I know that some of you, if not all, are saddened by this fact. I know I am." Izumi gave out a small chuckle.

"This month-long training has been hard on us, and gave us situations that were problematic and tiring, even depressing. The thing that would depress me the most, though, would be if we ignore what we learned here, not as athletes, but as a person, as a student, and as a friend." She paused to look at her proclaimed brother.

"And so, to finalize our last afternoon together before we leave, let us hear a speech from the dear owner of this mansion." There was no clapping or any merriment, only silence as Izumi sat down and Ryoma took her place in front of them. He stared at them for a few seconds before he spoke.

"As Izumi-sempai has said, we had encountered problematic situations, but that fact _vexes_ me. In my opinion, it is not the **situations** that confuse and trouble us, but the **choices** we make and what they bring." His voice was monotone, but the way he spoke got to them. He spoke of the truth, and he, as he usually would, bluntly told it to them without warning.

"We all had made mistakes. These mistakes are in the past and could **never** be reversed or changed. There is **nothing** we can do but to learn from them, but that is **false**." His stare on them changed, but they didn't know how. "It is only when we _ponder_ and _reflect_ these mistakes – **what** we did, what we **felt** at that time, **why** did we feel that way, what **do** we feel at the moment when we think about it, and what is the **lesson** we learned from that mistake – **do** they really _matter_." What he said bore deeply into their minds, telling them things they already knew but rarely, at least for some, acknowledge.

"When we leave this mansion, take that time to think about those mistakes. We cannot always make amends to those we wronged, but that should hinder us on being regretful about it. Regret is the first step, followed by forgiveness. We cannot always be forgiven in the instance we ask for forgiveness, but we should also learn to forgive ourselves." His voice was solemn, thoughtful.

"Forgive yourself for being weak, for being careless. Accept that you cannot always do everything, and might need to ask for help. Forgive yourself for hurting others and yourself. Bullying yourself for failing or being something you never wanted to be helps no one. Do not be foolish. We are human, and are flawed by nature." His voice was stern, but hearing him say those words, they felt light.

"Have the wisdom to know the difference between which situations are in your power to change and which are not."

He stared at them few a few seconds before sitting down. Silence was among the teens for a couple of moments until Sachiko stood up and went in front. She, like Ryoma did earlier, stared at their faces for a few moments in silence before speaking.

"In trainings like this, one expects to grow better in the field they are training upon, but always leaves with what we expected to gain. Knowledge, one thing we received in abundance, and should not take advantage of." She slipped a glare at the curly-haired senior of St. Rudolf.

"Young Master Ryoma had addressed you in accepting in mistakes after Hanabi-san addressed you in appreciation. I will make myself clear in what point I want across." She grazed her eyes over attentive faces. "I want you all to acknowledge your limits. Accept your human, and know your limits. Take the risk and find out. Appreciate and thank the people who helped you grow." She paused for a few moments to take a deep breath.

"These limits can or cannot be overcome. Have the guts to test it and accept the outcome."

With that, she sat down. Her master had already said what she wanted to say, not that she was upset. She knew he was more knowledgeable on the men before her. He knew them longer and knew better on how to tell them. In her heart, she was thankful for them. They helped her master grow, and made him happy.

'Thank you, everyone.' She thought with a smile.

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**A/N: **Okay. I was being a little reflective on this chapter. Some lessons I mentioned here I learned during my senior year (high school) retreat. Absolute thanks to that priest (though he won't know I actually mentioned him here).

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	29. They doubted his sanity

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** Another chapter for today. I want to make up for the nearly month-or-two-long no-update period I did.

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Very little shounen-ai, just mentioned.

Here it is, the twenty-ninth chapter!

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**Chapter 29: They doubted his sanity.**

As all of them walked the dirt path on their way home, they were silent as they pondered upon what the three teens had told them earlier. Instead of feeling inferior of their maturity, they felt that they were equals. They had told them not in a way like they were scolding them, or telling them off. They didn't resort to easier to understand words or metaphors to make their point across.

They felt **appreciated**. It was like their efforts were not for naught. They were all noticed, evaluated and accepted. There were no statements like 'you could have done better' or 'you did not give your best.' They were handled upon by four adults that training them fairly, and made them focus upon what they can do to overcome their weaknesses.

They were **thankful**. None of them were ignored for the other who was better. They were not treated like they completely know what to do. They were not made to do stuff just so they were distracted while others got trained. Their time was well-spent. Even Izumi and Sachiko did their parts to help them.

Ryoma, on the other hand, even if he did not help them in the training themselves, he was willing to take them there, his mansion. He made sacrifices for them (the mansion and his cooking). He ignored previous ill will and welcomed them to his second home, like the perfect host. Even the new-bred ill will from some, he did not ignore those who were disgusted or did not approve of his relationship with Kirihara. He took them as they are, and lived with it.

Inside, they (the ones who did not approve or was disgusted at the two male's relationship) were a little angry at his reaction. He should have fought them that there was nothing wrong with two guys being in a relationship. He should have ignored them for the snide remarks they said. He should have gotten mad or upset at them for avoiding him like he was a walking plague. He could have done any of that, but he didn't.

He fucking _accepted_ them and let them be.

He still cooked them meals, helped them with English schoolwork (for some) and did not tell them to stop acting like he was a contagious deadly disease. He ignored them at some times, but for most, he looked hurt. That's what they hated about him the most. He _let_ himself get hurt, not making a comeback even once.

'Why would he do that?'

The Ryoma they knew wouldn't let himself get blown away so easily, wouldn't go down without a fight. So what happened to the Ryoma they knew? Somewhere in the dark recesses of their mind, they knew the answer. No matter what he had said or done, they knew nothing would change. Ryoma simply didn't want to waste an effort.

They (the teens sans Kirihara) even doubted Ryoma's **sanity**.

He made their minds _flop and twist_ with the things he showed them. He told them about his relationship with Kirihara (as was proved by the kiss) with no hesitation. He openly let Izumi tell them what sadistic (and downright evil) things he did, and could possibly do, to his older brother, Ryoga.

He scared them for simple and not so simple things. (One time, a group accidentally knocked over his coffee and ended up with **neon yellow** hair for a few days. Another time, a group took his dango while he was relaxing. That earned them extremely spicy food, puke-green hair and an **'I love unicorns'** tattoo – written in clear Japanese somewhere on their bodies – that is still present but is trying to hide.) He loves to make them do weird faces caused by his pranks, but does not use it for blackmail. (Izumi showed them his album.)

He was an **enigma**.

He was like a complex maze made of thorns, or a house full of booby traps. You never know what could secretly set him off (A few instances were mentioning his short height, spilling his coffee, stealing his dango, bullying Karupin.) or what would calm him down (other than his cat and dango, which aren't always present when they are needed).

Then there was his unknown past shrouded with mystery. They knew nothing beyond the time he set foot on Japanese soil, which was thanks to Inui (who still claims he is _not_ a stalker). The Seigaku regulars only knew of Ryoga during the cruise trip, the rest met him at camp. Most of them did not know of his parents (except his teammates).

They had very minimal amount of information about him even if they knew each other for three years. That spoke volumes to them, but even then, they still wanted to be friends with the cocky freshman. To them, even if he was heir to a company or had connections to the underworld, they couldn't care. He was _their_ friend, and they were _his_.

Izumi flopped down on her bed once she got home. The walk from the mansion to the nearest station had tired all of them, and the trip back to Tokyo had been a long one, but uneventful. She was thankful to all the gods that her friends were too tired and sleepy to make _too much_ noise.

After a few minutes of lying down, she took out her camera, which she had kept hidden for most of training. She shuffled through the photos, most of them being her friends training. There were random pictures of the forest and the flowers in between some, but most pictures were used for training purposes. The camera captured some information she couldn't pick up with her own eyes, information she gave to the coaches to help them train the teens properly.

Soon, she reached the photos which she took earlier that morning. They were group pictures, and one of every school. She even had one with Sachiko in it. Lastly, it was a picture of her and her sleepy proclaimed brother at the bus. She smiled at the memory. Ryoma had fallen asleep as soon as he had gotten to his seat.

She studied the subtle features of the freshman carefully. He had long lashes, more noticed by the droopy eyelids that partially covered golden amber eyes. He has a small nose and pale pink lips. 'He looks too much like a girl.' She thought fondly as she traced his jaw on the photo. He had grown out his hair for a bit, and it reached a little over his collarbone.

Being in such a sleepy state, he looked so peaceful and true to his age. When he was fully awake, he always acted beyond his age, either too formal or too aloof. There was almost no in between for him. Even when he was playing tennis, she rarely saw him actually had fun anymore.

'Why do you always look like a damsel in distress, otouto?' She worriedly thought before she kept away her camera. She fixed her stuff then lied down on her bed again, ready to take a nap. Just before she surrendered to a few minutes of sleep, her eyes slid to the photo in the frame on her bedside table.

It was a photo of her and Ryoma on his graduation day in middle school.

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**A/N: **Okay. I was still being a little reflective on **this** chapter. I had fun writing the others' thoughts on Ryoma though. hehehehehe...

Anyway, I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


	30. Everything is back to normal

**Disclaimer:** Prince of Tennis? Not mine. Got that? Great.

**A/N:** Real life is making it's way to extract me from this story. Because of this, this story has been brought down from my main priority list. I would still update, but with no assurance how often.

I dedicate this chapter to **Artic-Fox 14** and **Catkac**. :D

**Warning:** There **will** be OOCness due to circumstances invented by my imagination. Very little shounen-ai, just mentioned.

Here it is, the thirtieth chapter!

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**Chapter 30: Everything is back to normal.**

Ryoma sighed as he walked through the halls. It has been a couple months after the training and autumn was already there. Sachiko had already gone back to their world to continue her studies too. The tennis tournament this year had passed in a blur for him though. They lost some games, but still went out on top. The Nationals were still tough, harder than what they experienced in middle school, but to him, the thrill was gone.

At that moment, he was heading towards the library instead of the tennis courts. He didn't have library duty that day, but he was feeling too lethargic to play tennis, even if it would be light drills because of the approaching cold weather.

Other than his lack of drive to play the sport he knew he was accused of being obsessed about, he was curious about what his self-proclaimed sister was doing for the last few months. She was rarely present in his games, which didn't depress him in one bit. He was used to her being caught up with her own club. She was a member of the drama club, and was the head of costumes and set design, so he expected that she would be busy.

They rarely spent lunch together, so that was a dead end. He had asked Tezuka, but the team captain had only told him that Izumi was present in class. When he asked about student council activities, he was told that Izumi was currently free of her vice-president duties, always having finished them as soon as possible after receiving it. That struck him as peculiar behavior for the lively senior. She was never one to rush jobs given to her. It was too prone to mistake, she had once told him, which she would not tolerate for her to do. He didn't question it further and simply left after that small talk he had with his team captain.

Before his mind could wander off to far deeper thoughts dwelling in his mind, he had reached his destination. He silently entered the library and headed straight towards the counter, where the librarian was currently present. The librarian was a tall and gentle-looking woman with black hair and gray eyes. She was already in her late thirties, but she looked only around her early twenties.

"Good afternoon, Ryoma-kun." The kind woman greeted him. "Good afternoon, Misami-san." He greeted politely. "The cart is beside the stock room. Feel free to busy yourself." The woman named Misami replied with a soft smile on her face. She had a knack for knowing his thoughts, even without saying a word. She had learned to read him throughout the years of his volunteering here. He gave the woman a small, grateful smile before he walked off to the cart full of books.

He occupied himself with returning the books in their rightful places, passing one bookshelf after the other. He made sure to keep his pace slow and steady as to prolong his time there. He absolutely loved being in the library. It was one of the few places he seriously enjoyed to stay in for hours on end. The scent of dried ink and the texture of old paper and rough covers brought comfort to his mind as he sorted his thoughts.

He gazed through the familiar and new titles of books in the shelves he passed as he occasionally returned a book or fixed a misplaced book. Soon enough, he noticed that he only had a handful of books, which saddened him a little. He finished returning the books, and picked out a few books to read.

"Have a good evening, Ryoma-kun." He turned his head back towards the woman behind the counter. She was waving at him with that gentle smile of hers dancing on her lips. "Are you staying long, Misami-san? It is getting late." He asked when he noticed the darkening sky. "I will close up in a few minutes." She answered, before returning to her work. She did not comment when he walked back and sat in a nearby seat next to the counter.

As she had said, she finished her work in a few minutes. He waited for her to lock up and offered to walk her home. "You are so kind, Ryoma-kun." She told him before they walked off to the direction of her home. It wasn't his first time he walked her home, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. She was like a mother figure to him.

Unknown to him, he was seen by his teammates as he walked out the gates beside the older woman. "Hey look! There's Echizen!" Momo exclaimed as he spotted the freshman. They had just finished tennis practice and were just about to leave. "Let's follow him nya!" Eiji said before he bounced off with Momo by his side. Oishi and Taka followed in worry while Inui simply joined in because of curiosity and Fuji joined for the heck of it. Tezuka and Kaidoh ignored them and went their own ways home.

Meanwhile, Ryoma was too distracted to notice his friends following him. Misami, too, did not notice the spying teens, but was getting a little trouble with her bags. "Let me help you carry some of those, Misami-san." Ryoma said as they stopped walking, his hand held out in front of her. "Thank you, Ryoma-kun." She replied as she handed him one of her bags. They continued their walk afterwards.

This action of Ryoma became the main topic of the spying teens. "Ochibi's so nice!" Eiji commented. "I wonder who that woman is though. Echizen seems to be familiar with her." They all looked at Inui who shook his head. They weren't able to get a good look of the woman so far, thus their cluelessness.

On the other hand, the followed pair had started chatting. "Why do you like to stay in the library, Ryoma-kun?" Misami asked out of curiosity. "It is a good place to think and have peace. Why do you like to stay there, Misami-san?" Echizen replied, also out of curiosity. "My grandfather loved reading, and I grew to love it as well. I grew up being surrounded by various books, that even now that I'm older, I still want to be around it. In addition, it gives me closure with my grandfather." Misami sadly answered.

They stopped walking. They were already in front of Misami's house. Ryoma, noticing the older woman's depression, placed a hand on her elbow, catching her attention. She faced him to see amber eyes that held understanding and sadness, but no pity. "He never left. He's still with you, in here." He carefully placed his free hand on the area where her heart was. His fingertips barely touched her as she towered over him by at least two heads in height. He placed his arms back to his sides after a few moments.

She gave him a small teary smile before she pulled him towards her. She enveloped him in a warm hug, one that he hasn't felt in years. He stood still for a few seconds before he raised his arms and returned the hug. "Thank you, Ryoma-kun." She whispered before she gave him a chaste kiss on the top of his head. They pulled away soon afterwards. The smile was still on her face. He tugged on her hand, making her bend forward to level her face with his. "No, thank you, Misami-san." He whispered to her before he, too, gave her a kiss on the top of her head, but with difficulty because of his height.

She was surprised at what he did, but her shock soon disappeared and the smile on her face grew. "I'm glad your okay now, Ryoma-kun. You better go home now. Your parents must be worried." She said in a worried voice, but the smile on her face made it slightly hard to believe. "Hai, Misami-san. See you tomorrow." He replied with a bow before he walked away. "Thank you again, Ryoma-kun!" She shouted after him. He looked back with a small smile on his face. "Thank you too, Misami-okaa-chan!" He yelled back before walking off.

Misami watched him with disbelief on her face before she felt tears well-up in her eyes. 'That boy is just too much.' She thought as she walked towards her home. 'It isn't a bad thought though. It will be just like having another son again.' She thought fondly as she stared at the picture she kept near the staircase. It was an old picture of her with a small baby boy in her arms. 'Another son, eh?' She asked herself as she hugged the photo to herself, tears running down her face.

Meanwhile, Ryoma had headed straight towards the park near his home, still oblivious to the group of teens following him. 'Why did I call Misami-san _'okaa-chan'_?' He asked himself and his earlier actions. The woman had reminded him so much of his step-mother. Misami, too, had a departed loved one and loved reading. She also had that warmth he had only felt from his actual mother and his dead step-mother.

"Why is there another one?" He asked out loud to the empty air. He stared at the moon and the starlit sky above him as a cold wind passed by. '_She_ always loved evenings like this, while okaa-san preferred warmer nights.' He thought as he walked around aimlessly. He sauntered around for a few more minutes before standing next to the fountain.

"Another mother, eh?"

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**A/N: **I hope I didn't make the characters **too** OOC. Please tell me **any** typos and inconsistencies, even grammar mistakes (being the "Grammar Nazi" that I am).

**Constructive criticism** is appreciated in the form of private messages and/or reviews.


End file.
